[A. REGULAR SESSION AGENDA - CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.I'M MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, AND I WANNA WELCOME YOU TO OUR APRIL 16TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
UM, I WANT TO GET US STARTED WITH A ROLL CALL, PLEASE.
COUNCIL MEMBER NICOLE RAPHAEL.
COUNCIL MEMBER DYNA MARKS HERE.
COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HERE.
UM, AT THIS TIME WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
FIRST, WE'LL HAVE OUR INVOCATION BY PASTOR PETER DAY, JESUS WITH THE VICTORY HILL CHURCH, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, LED BY STUDENT ANGELISE LEON FROM INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS, LANCASTER DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR PROCTOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD IN TODAY'S INVOCATION, LET'S GO BEFORE THE LORD.
DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER, GOD OF ABRAHAM, GOD OF ISAAC, AND GOD OF JACOB.
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WE COME BEFORE YOUR THRONE OF GRACE THANKING YOU FOR YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GRACE THAT WE HAVE ACCESS TO EVERY TIME WE DRAW NEAR TO YOU.
AND CALL UPON YOUR NAME, LORD, TODAY WE ARE APPEALING TO YOUR MERCY AND YOUR GRACE FOR YOUR BLESSING UPON OUR MAYOR, OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR CITY LEADERSHIP, ALL THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN TODAY'S MEETING AND ALL THAT IS GOING ON IN OUR CITY OF DESOTO.
FATHER, IN JESUS'S NAME, THROUGH YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, WE ASK YOU TO CAUSE YOUR KINGDOM TO COME AND TO CAUSE YOUR WILL TO BE DONE EVEN TO THE POINT OF WHAT JESUS PRAYED.
NOT OUR WILL, BUT YOUR WILL BE DONE.
AND JESUS, WE JOIN YOU IN YOUR INTERCESSION AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE FATHER AND HOLY SPIRIT, WE JOIN YOU IN YOUR GROANS OF INTERCESSION FOR OUR CITY, FOR OUR PEOPLE, AND FOR YOUR PURPOSES AND YOUR PLANS IN THIS CITY AS WE ARE WELL INTO SPRING, HEADED TOWARDS SUMMER, EVEN AS THE WEATHER WILL GET HOTTER AND WE WILL GET THIRSTY, WE'RE PRAYING THAT SPIRITUALLY THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE OF THIRST IN OUR CITY FOR YOU.
JESUS, YOU YOURSELF SAID, HE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID OUT OF HIS HEART, WILL FLOW RIVERS OF LIVING WATER AND OH, HOW WE NEED YOUR RIVER TO FLOW IN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR LIVES, MARRIAGES, FAMILIES, HOMES, NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES IN OUR CITY OF DESOTO.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE ARE ASKING, ACCORDING TO YOUR WORD, THAT YOUR RIVER OF LIFE WOULD FLOW THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CITY OF DESOTO AS YOUR WORD.
IT SAYS IN PSALMS 46 4, THERE IS A RIVER WHOSE STRINGS SHALL MAKE GLAD THE CITY OF GOD, THE HOLY PLACE OF THE TABERNACLE OF THE MOST HIGH.
AND LORD, WE KNOW THIS IS FIRST AND FOREMOST IN REFERENCE TO THE CITY OF JERUSALEM, THE APPLE OF YOUR EYE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE BELIEVE THAT DESOTO HAS A NEAR AND DEAR PLACE IN YOUR HEART, IN YOUR SIGHT, LORD, AS YOU LOOK UPON THIS PRECIOUS CITY OF DESOTO, WE ARE PRAYING, WE ARE BELIEVING.
AND WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION THAT IN THESE COMING HOTTER MONTHS OF THE HOTTER SEASON TO COME, YOU'RE GOING TO POUR OUT OF YOUR HOLY SPIRIT, POUR OUT OF YOUR RIVERS OF LIVING WATER.
SO THAT TIMES OF REFRESHING WOULD COME FROM THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD FOR OUR CITY.
FATHER, WE PRAY THAT AS YOUR HOLY SPIRIT BEGINS TO FLOW THROUGHOUT THE STREETS, THROUGHOUT THE ALLEYS, THROUGHOUT THE BACKWAYS OF OUR CITY, THAT LORD LIVES AND FAMILIES, AND HOMES, AND OUR COMMUNITIES WOULD BE REFRESHED BY YOUR VERY PRESENCE AS YOUR SPIRIT FLOWS.
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YOUR JOY, MAY YOUR PEACE.MAY YOUR PATIENCE, MAY YOUR KINDNESS, MAY YOUR GOODNESS, MAY YOUR FAITHFULNESS AND GENTLENESS AND SELF CONTROL BE WHAT WE BEAR AS FRUIT.
AND MAY YOUR GIFTS BE IN OPERATION AS WE SERVE OUR CITY OF DESOTO.
LORD, WE PRAY THAT NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST IT WOULD PROSPER.
WE PRAY THAT ANY AND ALL MALICIOUSNESS WOULD BE DRIVEN IN SEVEN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AWAY.
AND WE PRAY, FATHER GOD, THAT INSTEAD HEAVEN WOULD CONTINUE TO BE OPEN AND YOUR PRESENCE WOULD CONTINUE TO DESCEND.
AND THAT YOUR FAVOR, YOUR BLESSING, WOULD BE SO EVIDENT IN OUR CITY THAT PEOPLE ONCE AGAIN FROM THE NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST, NOT ONLY FROM THIS REGION, BUT THROUGHOUT OUR STATE AND THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WOULD TAKE NOTICE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING DISTINCT ABOUT DESOTO, THAT THERE'S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT DESOTO.
THAT THERE IS A DIVINE MOVE OF GOD IN THIS CITY, AND THAT YOU ARE COMPLETING THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU HAVE BEGUN.
WE THANK YOU FOR GRACE UPON GRACE.
WE THANK YOU FOR MORE OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING, WISDOM, ANOINTING AUTHORITY AND POWER AT WORK IN AND THROUGH THE LIVES OF OUR MAYOR AND THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR CITY LEADERSHIP.
AND WE PROMISE TO GIVE YOU THE THANKS, THE PRAISE AND THE GLORY IN JESUS AND WE PRAY.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FOLLOWED BY THE TEXAS PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL HONOR THE TEXAS FLOOD.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
THANK YOU PASTOR DE JESUS FOR THAT BEAUTIFUL PRAYER.
TO BEGIN OUR MEETING AS WELL AS WE WANNA WELCOME OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR, MS. ANGELISE LEONIS.
DID I GET THAT RIGHT? YES, MA'AM.
SHE IS REPRESENTING THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL, LANCASTER DESOTO.
I'M GONNA READ JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR AMBASSADOR FOR TONIGHT.
ANGELISE IS A 12TH GRADE STUDENT AT THE INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE'S A SERVANT LEADER AND A PILLAR IN HER COMMUNITY.
SHE'S AN INNOVATIVE LEADER AND HAS EXCELLED IN VARIOUS LEADERSHIP ROLES SUCH AS STUDENT COUNCIL, PRESIDENT AND CLASS PRESIDENT OF THE 20 23 24 SCHOOL YEAR.
ANGELIS HAS FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A MODEL, UNITED NATIONS CAPTAIN AND JUNIOR WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL PRESIDENT.
SHE ALSO PARTICIPATES IN COMMUNITY SERVICE BY VOLUNTEERING WITH THE LANCASTER RECREATIONAL SOCCER TEAM FOR THE PAST FOUR YEARS.
ANGEL IS THE OLDEST OF FIVE SIBLINGS AND IS DEDICATED TO HELPING HER FAMILY.
SHE ASPIRES TO CONTINUE BEING A LEADER IN HER COMMUNITY AND LOOKS FORWARD TO STUDYING PSYCHOLOGY AS SHE FURTHERS HER EDUCATION.
CAN WE GIVE MS. LEONIS A GREAT BIG HAND CLAP FOR BEING OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR TONIGHT? ANGELIS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENT BODY AT YOUR SCHOOL? WE WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE REPRESENTED BY YOU MAYOR AND THANK YOU PERSONALLY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY OF ME BEING HERE.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, SO THANK YOU ALL.
WE'RE GONNA COME DOWN AND TAKE SOME PHOTOS.
UM, BEFORE I DO THAT, I WANNA MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
UM, ANGELISE WILL HELP YOU OUT, BUT YOU MUST FILL OUT A CARD, A COMMENT CARD OVER THERE TO, UH, BE ABLE TO SPEAK ON OUR MEETING TONIGHT.
AND SHE SAID YOU'RE HER TEACHER? YES, MA'AM.
MS. MOHAMAD, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO THE PHONE? YES, PLEASE.
[00:10:01]
IT'S GOOD CLOSE UP.AND I'M GONNA TAKE THIS BECAUSE I HAVE HER CAMERA.
[1. Presentation of Proclamation of Celebration of Muslim Holiday Eid AL Fitr]
WE'LL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.NEXT WE MOVE INTO OUR PRESENTATIONS.
FIRST WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION OF CELEBRATION OF MUSLIM HOLIDAY.
IE AL FITTER MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR.
ACCEPTING IS JIHAD MAIA, MIKE HERE.
ESTEEMED COMMUNITY MEMBERS IS WITH A PROFOUND SENSE OF RESPECT AND ADMIRATION THAT WE'RE GATHERED HERE TODAY TO HONOR AN OCCASION OF DEEP SIGNIFICANCE.
AND THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF RAMADAN AND THE CELEBRATION OF EID AAR.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL MOMENT THAT REALLY ILLUSTRATES THE, THE DIVER DIVERSE TAPESTRY THAT DESOTO REPRESENTS.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US, UH, AS YOUR COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HONOR YOU BY SHARING THIS PROCLAMATION.
AND I'M GONNA READ IT FOR YOUR HEARING.
AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANY COMMENTS, UH, YOU WOULD DEFINITELY BE WELCOME TO DO SO, PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS ON THIS DAY, WE ACKNOWLEDGE A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE ONE WEEK SINCE THE CONCLUSION OF THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN AND THE JOYOUS CELEBRATION OF EID AAR, A MOMENTOUS OCCASION REVERED BY MUSLIMS GLOBALLY.
AND WHEREAS EID AAR SIGNIFIES THE CULMINATION OF A SACRED MONTH DEDICATED TO DEVOTION, COMPASSION, CHARITY, AND INTROSPECTION, WHILE ALSO SERVING AS A POIGNANT REMINDER OF THE CHALLENGES FACED BY MUSLIM COMMUNITIES WORLDWIDE, INCLUDING CONFLICT, POVERTY, HUNGER, DISEASE AND DISPLACEMENT.
AND WHEREAS WE CELEBRATE EID OFF TAR AND RE AND REFLECT ON OUR BLESSINGS, LET'S REAFFIRM OUR COMMITMENT TO PEACE AND THE PROTECTION OF EVERYONE'S RIGHTS AND DIGNITY.
RECOGNIZING ISLAM'S LONGSTANDING PRESENCE IN THE UNITED STATES AND DESOTO, WHERE APPROXIMATELY 4 MILLION AMERICAN MUSLIMS FROM DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS HAVE GREATLY ENRICHED OUR SOCIETY.
AND WHEREAS THE DIVERSITY WITHIN DESOTO, BOLSTERED BY THE PIVOTAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF ITS MUSLIM COMMUNITY UNDERSCORES THE CITY'S STRENGTH AND VITALITY.
ADDITIONALLY, THE ESTEEMED DESOTO HOUSE OF PEACE RECOGNIZED AS A PREMIER ISLAMIC CENTER IN THE UNITED STATES PROUDLY ALIGNS ITSELF WITH OUR COMMUNITY, PLEDGING UNWAVERING DEDICATION TO DESOTOS PROSPERITY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RACHEL O PROCTOR BY THE POWER OF VESTED IN ME AS THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS DALLAS COUNTY DUE HEREBY PROCLAIM APRIL, APRIL 10TH AS THE HOLY MONTH OF RAMADAN AND THE OBSERVANCE OF EID AAR IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE TO EMBRACE DIVERSITY, NURTURE, UNDERSTANDING, AND COLLABORATE TOWARDS A FUTURE MARKED BY UNITY AND PROSPERITY FOR ALL.
AND WITNESS WHEREOF I HAVE SET MY HAND AND CAUSE THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED.
SIGNED MAYOR RACHEL O PROCTOR, ATTESTED TO BY ALICIA THOMAS, CITY SECRETARY.
OUR SPIRITUAL, UH, LEADER WILL BE ABLE TO DELIVER SOME WORDS.
UM, IT'S A PLEASURE AND AN HONOR TO BE HERE STANDING IN FRONT OF EVERYONE.
UM, WE JUST WANTED TO SEND, UH, OUR PEACE TO THE CITY OF, OF DESOTO, UH, COMING HERE REPRESENTING THE HOUSE OF PEACE, WHICH IS, UH, A MOSQUE THAT WAS ERECTED HERE.
UH, A BEAUTIFUL MONUMENT AND, UH, SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE CITY OF DESOTO WILL STAND OUT WITH ON THE NATIONAL LEVEL, ESPECIALLY AMONGST THE MUSLIM COMMUNITY.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO COME.
UH, VISIT US AT OUR MOSQUE, SEE THE BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE, MEET THE GREAT PEOPLE AND GET TO KNOW, UH, OUR AMAZING CULTURE AS WELL.
WE'RE HERE TO STRIVE FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO TAKING THIS CITY, UH, TO THE NEXT LEVEL AND DOING WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS CITY CONTINUES TO PROSPER AND TO CONTINUES TO BE SAFE AND CONTINUES TO RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD.
MAY GOD BLESS, UH, BLESS YOU ALL AND GOD, GOD BLESS AMERICA.
AT THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR, OH, I'M SORRY.
[00:15:01]
THEY WANT A PHOTO.WE
NEXT WE WILL MOVE CONSENT ITEM NUMBER F TWO'S PROCLAMATION TO THE PRESENTATION.
AND WE HAVE PRESENTATION OF PROCLAMATION HONORING NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, ACCEPTING AS ASSISTANT S-W-R-C-C DIRECTOR KIMBERLY WOODS AND HER TEAM.
THEY BROUGHT THE WHOLE TEAM OUT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THEY WERE WHOLE SOCIAL MEDIA INFLUENCERS OUT HERE IN THESE INTERNET STREETS, BUT, UM, THEY ALWAYS SHARING SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON THERE AT OUR 9 1 1 CENTER.
AND SO WE ENJOY, UH, SHARING THAT.
AND WE ALSO, UM, EQUALLY ENJOY CELEBRATING YOU ALL FOR NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK.
UM, AND I'M GONNA READ A PROCLAMATION FOR YOUR HEARING AS WELL AS WE HAVE COPIES FOR YOU ALL.
WHEREAS IN 1991, CONGRESS SUCCESSFULLY PROCLAIMED AND PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON SIGNED INTO LAW DESIGNATING THE SECOND WEEK OF APRIL AS NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK.
AND WHEREAS EMERGENCIES THAT REQUIRE POLICE FIRE, ANY EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES CAN OCCUR AT ANY TIME THE SAFETY OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, AND PARAMEDICS ARE DEPENDENT UPON THE QUALITY AND ACCURACY OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM OUR CITIZENS WHO CONTACT THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS S-W-R-C-C.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS ARE THE FIRST AND FOREMOST CRITICAL CONTACT OUR CITIZENS HAVE WITH EMERGENCY SERVICES.
THESE PROFESSIONALS INCLUDE 9 1 1 OPERATORS, DISPATCHERS, AND OTHER COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS WHO ANSWER CALLS FOR HELP AND USE THEIR HIGH QUALITY COMMUNICATION AND DECISION MAKING SKILLS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE CALLER ACCORDING TO THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES RAISED BY THEIR EMERGENCY.
AND WHEREAS PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS HAVE REMAINED UNWAVERING IN THEIR DEDICATION TO PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITIES IN NEED DURING THEIR DIFFICULT AND STRESSFUL TIME.
THEY WORK 12 HOURS ON HOLIDAYS, BIRTHDAYS, AND EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR EXEMPLIFYING THEIR COMMITMENT TO ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY AND WELLBEING AROUND THE CLOCK.
NOW, THEREFORE, I RACHEL O PROCTOR BY THE POWER VESTED IN ME AS MAYOR OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS DALLAS COUNTY, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THE WEEK OF APRIL 14TH THROUGH THE 20TH 2024 AS NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK IN THE CITY OF DESOTO, AND ENCOURAGE ALL CITIZENS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE VITAL ROLE THESE PROFESSIONALS PLAY IN OUR EVERYDAY LIVES AND TO EXTEND THEIR APPRECIATION TO OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS FOR THEIR DILIGENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM IN KEEPING OUR CITY AND CITIZENS SAFE AND WITNESS BURRO.
I HAVE SET MY HAND AND CALLED THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS TO BE AFFIXED THIS 16TH DAY OF APRIL, 2024.
SIGNED MAYOR RACHEL PROCTOR, ATTESTED TO BY ALICIA THOMAS, CITY SECRETARY.
LET'S GIVE THEM A BIG HAND CLAP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL FOR RECOGNIZING S-W-R-C-C, UH, THIS NATIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK.
UH, WE, UH, ACTUALLY DO DIFFERENT THINGS DURING THE WEEK OF NATIONAL, UH, TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK.
AND TODAY IS OUR ROCK AND ROLL DAY.
IF YOU SEE OUR SHIRTS, S-W-R-C-C, WE HAVE OUR, UH, A CDC UH, THEMED SHIRT GOING ON.
AND THIS IS NOT ALL OF THE 9 1 1, UH, UH, DISPATCHERS.
JUST SO YOU KNOW, SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY WORKING
UH, BUT THAT'S ALL WE WANNA SAY.
JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR RECOGNIZING US AND WE ARE THERE WHEN YOU CALL.
I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET A PHOTO.
[C. ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST]
WILL HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.NEXT WE MOVE TO OUR ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 5 5 1 0.0415.
THE CITY COUNCIL MAY REPORT ON THE FOLLOWING ITEMS, EXPRESSION OF THANKS, CONGRATULATIONS OR CONDOLENCES INFORMATION ABOUT HOLIDAY SCHEDULES, RECOGNITION OF INDIVIDUALS,
[00:20:01]
REMINDERS ABOUT UPCOMING CITY COUNCIL EVENTS, INFORMATION ABOUT COMMUNITY EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS INVOLVING IMMINENT THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY, AS WELL AS ANY LIAISON UPDATES.AND MAYOR, IF I MAY, THE CITY OF DESOTO WILL HOLD A GENERAL ELECTION ON SATURDAY MAY 4TH FOR COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE SIX AND COUNCIL MEMBER PLACE SEVEN.
EARLY VOTING WILL BEGIN THIS MONDAY, APRIL 22ND, AND THROUGH TUESDAY, APRIL 30TH AT DISCIPLE CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH, LOCATED AT 9 0 1 NORTH POLK STREET, HERE IN DESOTO.
ADDITIONAL VOTE CENTER LOCATIONS AND TIMES FOR ELECTION DAY ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE@WWW.DESOTOTEXAS.GOV.
THE DEADLINE TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THIS ELECTION HAS PASSED.
IF YOU ARE UNSURE OF YOUR VOTER STATUS, YOU CAN VISIT VOTE TEXAS.GOV.
FOR ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THIS ELECTION AND UPCOMING CANDIDATE FORUMS, PLEASE VISIT THE CITY'S WEBSITE AGAIN AT WWW DOT DESOTO, TEXAS, ALL SPELLED OUT.GOV UNDER THE ELECTIONS TAB.
OR YOU MAY REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO DALLAS COUNTY ELECTIONS DEPARTMENT AT WWW.DALLASCOUNTYVOTES.ORG OR BY PHONE AT (214) 819-6389.
UM, AT THIS TIME COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OR ITEMS OF COMMUNITY INTEREST? YES, MAYOR PROAM.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR DESOTO AREA CHAMBER PRESENTS 2024 STATE OF THE DISTRICT, DESOTO AREA CHAMBER AND DESOTO, ISD BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF EDUCATION TO TRANSFORM LIVES AND COMMUNITIES.
THIS EVENT AIMS TO SHOWCASE DESOTO ISD AND PROVIDE DATA AND INSIGHTS ON THE CURRENT AND FUTURE POSITION OF THE DISTRICT.
THAT WILL BE MAY 2ND IN THE BLUE BONNET ROOM IN HERE IN THE CIVIC CENTER AT 11:00 AM FROM OUR PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE ON APRIL 20TH FROM 8:00 AM TO 12:00 PM THE AUTISM AWARENESS RESOURCE FAIR.
AND THAT IS THEY ALSO ARE CALLING FOR VENDORS WITH A $20 BOOTH FEE THAT WILL BE HELD AT ERNIE ROBERTS PARK AT FIVE 15 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD.
AND THEN MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR MAY 31ST, MORE INFORMATION TO COME.
THAT IS A GIRLS COLLEGE ID CAMP.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE HELD AT THE GRIMES PARK 6:30 PM TO 9:30 PM AT 5 0 1 EAST WINTER GREEN ROAD.
UM, CALLING ALL JOB SEEKERS AND EMPLOYERS.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH THE DESOTO WORKS JOB FAIR.
AND WE HAVE, UM, AN EVENT COMING UP NEXT, EXCUSE ME, MAY THE 22ND, WHICH IS A WEDNESDAY FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM THERE WILL BE EMPLOYERS FROM ALL OVER DFW COMING RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF DESOTO, WITH THE DESOTO DE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, ALSO OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE DESOTO CHAMBER AS WELL AS DISCIPLE CENTRAL.
THE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT DISCIPLE CENTRAL COMMUNITY CHURCH, WHICH IS LOCATED AT 9 0 1 NORTH POLK STREET.
IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION, YOU CAN GO TO, UM, DESOTO WORKS JOB FAIR, 2020 FOUR.EVENTBRITE.COM TO REGISTER.
IF YOU ARE AN EMPLOYER, YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT AND YOUR REGISTRATION LINK IS DESOTO WORK WORKS EMPLOYER REGISTRATION.EVENTBRITE.COM.
AGAIN, THAT IS WEDNESDAY, MAY THE 22ND FROM 10:00 AM TO 2:00 PM THANK YOU.
I ALWAYS GET EXCITED WHEN I TALK ABOUT MONEY, BUT, UH, THERE IS AN ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOLARSHIP FLYER FOR ALL DESOTO ISD YOU.
IT DOES NOT REQUIRE A MINIMUM GRADE POINT AVERAGE.
THE ONLY THING IT REQUIRES IS THAT YOU APPLY AND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO A, A ACCREDITED SCHOOL.
IT IS GUARANTEED IF YOU APPLY A THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, A SCHOLARSHIP.
AND I BELIEVE ALL OF US, UH, DURING OUR EDUCATION CAN USE A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
I WAS TRYING TO, UM, I'M GOING TO PULL UP THE PHONE NUMBER AND I HAD IT.
UM, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN APPLYING, YOU CAN CALL IT IS IS SPONSORED BY MR. AND MRS. CHARLES WILLIAMS OF TAX TO GO.
THE PHONE NUMBER TO, UH, CONTACT THEM IS, UH OH, I'M SORRY.
I'M HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES THIS MORNING.
UH, THIS AFTERNOON I WILL GIVE YOU, IF YOU CALL ME AT MY COUNCIL NUMBER, I WILL, UH, EMAIL ME AT ANDRE BIRD, UH, ABIRD@DESOTOTEXAS.GOV.
I WILL FORWARD YOU THE INFORMATION, BUT IT IS A FREE SCHOLARSHIP.
THE NUMBER TO DIAL IS 9 7 2 8 8 0 1 1 1 1.
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AND THAT IS FOR ALL DESOTO RESIDENTS.YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF DESOTO HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU CAN BE A DESOTO PRIVATE, BUT IF YOU ARE A RESIDENT OF DESOTO, OF DESOTO, I BELIEVE LAST CHECK THERE WAS ABOUT, UH, 12 OPENINGS.
SO THERE'S ABOUT $12,000 LEFT FOR THIS GUARANTEED $1,000, UM, SCHOLARSHIP.
UH, YOU'RE GOING TO NEED THAT MONEY IN COLLEGE.
COUNCIL MEMBER BARR, DR. MARKS.
OUR COMMUNITY GARDEN NEEDS VOLUNTEERS.
THE COMMUNITY GARDEN NEEDS SOME EXTRA HELP FROM THE COMMUNITY.
WOULD YOU IN WHICH WILL INCLUDE WEEDING, HARVESTING, AND REGULAR CLEANUP OF THE AREA AROUND THE GARDEN.
WE MEET UP ON TUESDAYS AND THURSDAY AFTERNOONS AT FOUR OH O'CLOCK PM THE LOCATION IS 6 0 1 SOUTHWEST MORELAND ROAD HERE IN DESOTO.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING, PLEASE CONTACT DIANCA MCGEE AT 9 7 2 2 3 0 5 8 2 5 FOR MORE INFORMATION.
OR YOU CAN JOIN THE GROUP ME DESOTO COMMUNITY GARDEN ALSO MATTER.
MAYOR, WE DO HAVE PRESENTED BY DESOTO PARKS AND RECREATION MOTHER AND SON DANCE ALL STAR TENNIS SHOE BALL COME DRESSED TO IMPRESS IN SNEAKERS THAT WILL BE HELD ON SATURDAY, MAY 4TH, 2024 FROM SIX 30 ON TO 9:30 PM THE ADMISSION EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION MARCH 17TH THROUGH APRIL 3RD.
GENERAL SEATING IS $80 PER COUPLE, AND OF COURSE IT'S $20 FOR EACH PARTICULAR PERSON.
IT WILL BE HELD HERE AT DESOTO CIVIC CENTER, WHICH IS THE ADDRESS IS TWO 11 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD HERE IN DESOTO.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND PURCHASE THOSE TICKETS AND YOU CAN DO SO ONLINE@DESOTOTEXAS.GOV SLASH REGISTER MATTER.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS? OKAY, HEARING NONE, I DO HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MY OWN, UM, ONE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND COMING UP, COMING UP VERY QUICKLY.
UH, WE HAVE OUR CITY MANAGER MEETING GREET EVENT THAT IS HAPPENING THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH.
UM, AS YOU ALL ARE PROBABLY AWARE, THE CITY OF DESOTO IS SEARCHING FOR A NEW CITY MANAGER.
AND SO WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE, UM, THAT WE ARE DOWN TO OUR FINAL THREE CANDIDATES AND WE WILL BE HAVING A COMMUNITY MEET AND GREET WHERE YOU ALL, AS THE COMMUNITY ARE INVITED TO MEET OUR CANDIDATES, ASK QUESTIONS, UM, AND TO GET TO KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH, EACH ONE OF THEM, UM, AS WE GO INTO DECIDING WHO WILL LEAD OUR CITY INTO THE FUTURE.
AND SO THAT WILL BE THIS THURSDAY, APRIL 18TH, AND IT BEGINS AT 5:30 PM TO 8:00 PM AND IT'LL BE RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS HERE AT TWO 11 EAST PLEASANT RUN ROAD.
AND SO MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND THAT EVENT.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE AN EVENT COMING UP BY THE LIONS CLUB.
SO LIONS CLUB DISTRICT TWO, UM, X ONE, THEY'RE HAVING AN THEIR ANNUAL PICNIC AND IT WILL BE THIS SUNDAY, APRIL 21ST, UH, FROM 12:00 PM TO 4:00 PM AT ERNIE ROBERTS PARK.
SO WE'RE INVITING YOU ALL OUT FOR A GOOD TIME THERE AS WELL.
ALSO, WE HAVE THE FAITH LEADERS BREAKFAST THAT IS COMING UP, UM, THIS NEXT WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24TH AT 8:30 AM IT IS OUR QUARTERLY BREAKFAST WHERE WE MEET, UM, WITH ALL OF THE FAITH LEADERS IN OUR COMMUNITY TO WORK ON WAYS TO COLLABORATE AND STRENGTHEN THE PARTNERSHIP, UH, BETWEEN OUR FAITH LEADERS IN THE CITY OF DESOTO.
AT THIS ONE ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE DR. ROGERS.
SHE'S GOING TO BE COMING TO PRESENT SOME SCHOOL DISTRICT UPDATES AND WAYS AGAIN THAT YOU ALL CAN PARTNER WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT.
UM, THEY'RE GOING TO BE COMING AND PRESENTING WAYS THAT OUR FAITH COMMUNITY CAN PARTNER WITH THEM ON A LOT OF OUR LARGER EVENTS THAT THEY DO, SUCH AS OUR LATINO HERITAGE FESTIVALS, OUR CRAWFISH FESTIVAL, 4TH OF JULY, MANY OF THE BIG THINGS, THE AQUATIC CENTER, THEY'RE GONNA BE COMING AND GIVING AN UPDATE ABOUT THAT.
AS WELL AS I'LL BE GIVING AN UPDATE ON OUR CITY MANAGER SEARCH.
UH, WE'RE ALSO VERY HONORED TO HAVE PASTOR TIM MARKS OF THE FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH, AND HE'S GOING TO BE COMING AND GIVING A WORD OF EXHORTATION TO OUR LEADERS THAT MORNING.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR, UH, TO HAVE A GREAT TIME AND THANKS TO SOME VERY SPECIAL SPONSORS.
UM, WE WILL BE HAVING A HOT BREAKFAST SERVED ON THAT DAY.
UM, COUNCILMAN BYRD, MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES.
WE WANNA PUBLICLY THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SPONSORSHIP FOR THAT BREAKFAST.
AGAIN, THIS IS A FREE EVENT, HOWEVER YOU MUST REGISTER IN ORDER TO ATTEND.
UM, AND YOU CAN FIND THAT ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA OR ON OUR CITY'S WEBSITE UNDER FAITH LEADERS QUARTERLY BREAKFAST.
I BELIEVE WE ARE ALMOST OUT OF SEATS, UH, FOR THAT.
SO IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND, IF YOU ARE PART OF THE FAITH COMMUNITY AND WISH TO ATTEND, I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO SIGN UP FOR THAT, UH, TODAY.
UM, AT THIS TIME, WE WANT TO, BEFORE WE GO TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA,
[00:30:01]
WE WANT TO STOP AND RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO HAS A BIRTHDAY COMING UP.AND THAT IS OUR VERY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER, CRYSTAL CHISHOLM, WHO HAS A BIRTHDAY COMING UP ON APRIL 29TH.
CAN WE GIVE HER A BIG HAND? AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW HOW THIS GOES.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, YOU GET TO CHOOSE WHICH VERSION YOU WANT AND WE WILL SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU.
SHE WANTS THE STEVIE WONDER VERSION.
SO ON THE COUNT OF THREE, UH, WE'LL TAKE THE COUNCIL CHAMBER CHOIR AND WE WILL SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY IN THE STEVIE WONDER VERSION.
THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, WE APPRECIATE YOU AND WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT, UH, TIME ON YOUR BIRTHDAY
UH, WE, WE ACTUALLY DID NOT SAY ABOUT THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT, UH, MEETINGS.
UH, MR. CAMERON, CAN YOU MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT? THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.
COUNCILWOMAN, UH, PARKER, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
WE'LL HAVE PRETTY MUCH ALL DAY SESSIONS HERE IN THE, UH, COUNCIL CONFERENCE ROOM.
I MEAN
UH, SO THAT THERE'D BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, UH, ANYBODY IN THE, IN THE PUBLIC, WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE PROPOSED DISTRICT OR JUST IN THE CITY WHO WANT TO COME OUT AND GET MORE INFORMATION REGARDING, UH, THE PROPOSED CHARACTER CODE ZONING.
UH, AND SO YOU CAN COME OUT AND YOU HAVE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH NOT ONLY OUR CONSULTANTS, BUT ALSO CITY STAFF TO GET, UH, INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, THE CHARACTER CODE ZONING.
SO, UH, AGAIN, ON APRIL 22ND AND 23RD WILL BE HERE IN THE COUNCIL, UH, CHAMBER WITH ONE CAVEAT, UH, FROM SIX TO 7:30 PM OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE THAT ON TUESDAY NIGHT, WHICH IS APRIL THE 23RD.
WE'LL HAVE P AND Z IN THIS ROOM.
SO THE, THE, UH, SETUP WILL MOVE FOR THE CHARACTER CODE WILL MOVE TO THE, UH, UH, BLACK CORNER THEATER JUST FOR THAT PERIOD.
BUT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY, IT WILL BE IN HERE.
SO, UH, WE'LL HAVE SIGNS SET UP POSTED TO POINT PEOPLE TO THE BLACK BOX THEATER AFTER, UH, SIX O'CLOCK AND POINT OF INFORMATION PLEASE.
UM, ON THE ACTUAL FLYER, THERE IS AN ACTUAL NUMBER ON THERE.
DID YOU WANT TO SHARE ANY OF THAT INFORMATION? THERE'S A FLYER SITTING OUT IN THERE.
I'M GONNA ASK DIRECTOR BURER, 'CAUSE I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
MAYOR COUNSEL, UM, UH, WHAT COUNCILWOMAN PARKER IS REFERRING TO, WE DID MAIL OUT THE GREEN POSTCARDS AGAIN.
UH, THEY WERE MAILED OUT YESTERDAY ON THE CARD.
IT HAS BOTH A QR CODE AS WELL AS A, UH, LINK, WHICH IS WWW ENVISION HAMPTON ROAD.COM.
YOU GO TO THAT LINK AND IT ALSO REPEAT AND TELL YOU THOSE MEETING DATES AGAIN, THE 20, UH, SECOND AND 23RD.
UM, AND THEN ALSO TODAY WE REESTABLISH THE THREE MESSAGE BOARD SIGNS THAT ARE WITHIN THE MEDIAN ON, UH, HAMPTON ROAD BETWEEN BELTLINE AND PLEASANT RUN.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN, COUNCILWOMAN PARKER FOR, UM, BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION TO MAKE THAT IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT.
AT THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS WILL HAVE THE
[D. CITIZEN APPEARANCES]
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT, WE MOVE INTO OUR CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE CITY COUNCIL INVITES CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL ON ANY TOPIC NOT ALREADY SCHEDULED FOR PUBLIC HEARING.
CITIZENS WISHING TO SPEAK SHOULD COMPLETE A CITIZEN COMMENT CARD AND PRESENT IT TO THE CITY SECRETARY OR RETURN TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, THE CITY COUNCIL CANNOT TAKE ACTION ON ITEMS NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, YOUR CONCERNS MAY BE ADDRESSED BY CITY STAFF PLACED ON A FUTURE AGENDA OR RESPONDED TO BY SOME OTHER COURSE.
ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING.
COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGENDA ITEM.
HOWEVER, COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE CITIZEN APPEARANCES PORTION OF THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
AND THE FIRST ONE I HAVE, MAYOR, IS AUTHOR ANDERSON.
CAN YOU CUT PRESS THAT BUTTON TO CUT YOUR MIC ON.
[00:35:01]
A BUTTON THAT HAS A LITTLE, YEAH, THERE YOU GO.PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY FOR THE RECORD.
AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
ARTHUR ANDERSON, DESOTO, TEXAS.
UH, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT I'M JUST GONNA GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH SINCE I ONLY HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, POLICE CHIEF JOE COSTA WAS ASKED ABOUT POLICY ON FEBRUARY 26TH AND AGAIN ON MARCH 18TH AT THE SUGGESTION OF CITY ATTORNEY JOE GOA.
UH, HE HAS NOT RESPONDED TO DATE.
AND, UM, I REACHED OUT TO THE CITIZEN'S POLICE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UH, COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, UH, CRYSTAL CHISHOLM, UM, TO FIND OUT WHAT POLICIES, ADDRESS POLICE TRANSPARENCY TO GET ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICE POLICIES.
UH, SHE INDICATED THAT SHE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY POLICIES AROUND TRANSPARENCY.
SO I AM ASKING THE COUNCIL AT THIS POINT, WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC STEPS TAKEN BY DESOTO POLICE WHEN CITIZENS FILE FALSE POLICE REPORTS AND OR THREATENED TO FILE FALSE POLICE REPORTS AGAINST OTHER CITIZENS.
OKAY, MR. ANDERSON, DURING OUR CITIZENS PORTION OF THE, UH, OF THE AGENDA, UM, STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW US TO RESPOND, BUT YOU CAN CONTINUE WITH YOUR COMMENTS.
SECOND QUESTION IS, WHEN A CITIZEN OF DESOTO HARASSES SENIOR CITIZENS AT THEIR HOMES MAKES A FALSE REPORT TO THE POLICE ALLEGING BEING THE VICTIM OF A CRIME AND ALSO THREATENS TO DO THE SAME TO OTHER SENIOR CITIZENS WEAPONIZING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHAT STEPS SHOULD CITIZENS TAKE? QUESTION NUMBER THREE, IF THE CITIZENS GO TO THE POLICE MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE POLICE REFUSE TO TAKE ACTION, WHAT SHOULD THE CITIZENS DO FROM THERE? QUESTION NUMBER FOUR.
A NUMBER OF CITIZENS IN THE SILVER CREEK STATE'S, HOA, HAVE REPORTED FEELING UNSAFE IN THE CITY OF DESOTO BECAUSE A HOMEOWNER HAS WEAPONIZED THE POLICE AGAINST MULTIPLE HOA BOARD MEMBERS AND THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT.
FOLLOWING THIS, THE HOA WAS UNABLE TO GET ANYONE TO RUN FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
QUESTION IS, WHY WOULD THE POLICE DEPARTMENT REFUSED TO INVESTIGATE AND CREATE SUCH AN UNSAFE ENVI, EXCUSE ME, ENVIRONMENT IN THE CITY OF DESOTO? QUESTION NUMBER FIVE.
DESOTO CITY COUNCIL MEMBER CRYSTAL CHISHOLM, IS A PARTY REQUESTING RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND A, IN RELATION TO AN HOA LEGAL MATTER RELATED TO SETTLEMENT WITH ONE OF THE VICTIMS OF A FALSE POLICE REPORT THAT THE POLICE REFUSED TO ADDRESS.
CRYSTAL CHISHOLM HAS NEVER BEEN ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
UH, POLICE FEEL FREE TO CORRECT THAT STATEMENT IF THAT IS WRONG.
ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR AT THE MAYOR'S 360 MEETING ON APRIL 4TH, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF DESOTO AND THE HOAS IS TWOFOLD.
ONE IS THE EXCHANGE OF BASIC INFORMATION, AND TWO, THE SPECI IS SPECIFIC PROGRAMMING.
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE NO EXPECTATION OR REQUIREMENTS TO RESOLVE.
MR. ANDERSON, THAT CONCLUDES YOUR TIME.
UM, MADAM MAYOR, UH, BEFORE WE CONTINUE, I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT THE FALSE INFORMATION THAT WAS SAID AGAINST MY NAME.
I AM NOT A PARTY OF ANY LAWSUIT THAT IS DEALING WITH THE SILVER CREEK ESTATES, HOAI HAVE NOT REQUESTED TO BE PUT ON ANY RECUSAL OF ANY LAWSUIT AND ANY INFORMATION PERTAINING TO THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN UP WITH THEIR ATTORNEY, NOT ME OR THE CITY OF DESOTO.
GOOD EVENING MS. NIXON, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY FOR THE RECORD.
YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
AND MY, UH, CITY OF RESIDENCE IS DETO, TEXAS, AND I AM HERE TO FOLLOW UP ON A FORMAL COMPLAINT REGARDING THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I'M ALSO HERE TO MAKE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR, TO MAKE IT PLAIN AND TO MAKE IT PUBLIC OF THE HARASSMENT THAT ME AND MY FAMILY HAS EXPERIENCED.
THE DISRESPECT THAT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM PERSONS ON THIS DAIS.
AND NOW THAT I'M STANDING BEFORE YOU, YOU CAN SEE ME AND YOU CAN HEAR ME BECAUSE I'VE BEEN FEELING IGNORED AND IT'S AT THE POINT, OKAY, I WROTE, IT'S A, IT'S A LOT.
HERE'S TO, I'M HERE TO FOLLOW UP ON THE FORMAL COMPLAINT REGARDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OF GROSS MISCONDUCT OF JOSEPH COSTA AND THE EMPLOYEES OF THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT.
[00:40:01]
OMAR BROWN, REMEMBER HIM STOOD BEFORE YOU LAST JULY TO ADDRESS HIS GRIEVANCE ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.AUGUST, 2019, THE DESOTO POLICE DEPARTMENT STORING MY HOME WITHOUT ANY LEGAL OR JUDICIAL AUTHORITY TO EVICT MY SON AND MY 3-YEAR-OLD GRANDSON AT GUNPOINT.
UH, THIS WAS MONTHS AGO THAT THE GRIEVANCE WAS SUBMITTED.
YOU DO REMEMBER THAT? YOU ARE ALL PRESENT.
YOU WERE ALL HERE, YOU WERE ALL PRESENT.
THIS WAS WHAT, JULY OF TWO OF WHAT? 2023.
YOU, DURING YOUR, UH, EVENTS, YOUR POSTINGS OF YOUR ACCOLADES AND YOUR TRIPS AND WHATEVER YOU HAVE GOING ON WITH THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY, THIS CITIZEN WAS IGNORED.
OKAY? NOW, DURING A MEETING, UH, THAT I HAD WITH, UH, CRYSTAL CHISHOLM JOSEPH COSTA AND THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER ON LAST THURSDAY, MS. CHISHOLM? YES, YOU INVITED ME AND, UH, I'LL GET BACK TO THAT LATER.
IT WAS STATED THAT ANDRE BIRD PLACED FOUR AND THE THEN CITY MANAGER, BRANDON WRIGHT, UH, WERE ADDRESSING HIS ISSUE.
I WAS TOLD THAT WHEN BRANDON WRIGHT LEFT, THE ISSUE JUST WENT AWAY.
LIKE YOU JUST FORGOT THAT HE WAS STANDING HERE, THAT HE WAS APPEALING TO YOU.
MANY OF YOU SITTING THERE CLAIM THAT YOU SEE AND HEAR YOUR CONSTITUENTS CONCERNS AND THEIR GRIEVANCES.
BUT DID YOU SEE MY SON? DID YOU HEAR HIS CONCERNS? YOU'VE MADE IT PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT YOU DON'T.
SO WHY ARE YOU SITTING IN THESE SEATS? IS IT FOR THE COMMUNITY OR IS IT FOR YOU? IS IT AN EGG THING? A OKAY, CRYSTAL, I WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHY YOU WANTED MS. NIXON.
I'M JUST WONDERING, LIKE, WHY DID IT LIKE, TAKE Y'ALL SO LONG, Y'ALL NOT EVEN RESPONDING BACK.
MR. BROWN, IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR, MR. BROWN, IF YOU COULD STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD.
LIKE Y'ALL JUST NOT GETTING Y'ALL LIKE, Y'ALL JUST NOT GETTING BACK WITH ME.
Y'ALL JUST IGNORING ME AND I'M JUST TIRED OF GOING IN CIRCLES AND Y'ALL NOT DOING ANYTHING.
SO WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOING EXACTLY? NOTHING TO SAY, BUT WHAT, AND WE'RE NOTHING TO SAY WE'RE SPEAKING TOGETHER.
YOU SAID THAT I WAS IN YOUR INBOX, BUT NOW HERE I AM IN YOUR PRESENCE AND IN YOUR FACE.
I STOOD BEFORE YOU POINT OF ORDER, I STOOD BEFORE YOU AS POINT OF ORDER A CITIZEN OR PROPERTY OWNER AND A MOTHER, MS. NIXON UHHUH
THE TIME THAT'S ALLOTTED IS FOR MR. BROWN TO SPEAK.
DO YOU WANNA READ THIS? I, UH, GO AHEAD AND FINISH READING IT.
I DON'T, I I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO, OKAY.
WE'LL BE BACK THE NEXT, UH, COUNCIL MEETING AND I'M TIRED OF BEING, BEING IGNORED SINCE Y'ALL HAVE D UM, SEATS AND Y'ALL SUPPOSED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
Y'ALL AIN'T DOING NOTHING THEN Y'ALL DON'T DESERVE TO BE SITTING UP THERE.
MARY BONAPARTE, I SHOULD STATE.
GOOD EVENING, MS. BONAPARTE, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
MARY BONAPARTE, CITY OF DESOTO.
MY MESSAGE TODAY IS STRICTLY FOR THE INDIVIDUAL CITY OF DESOTO LEADERS.
TWO WEEKS AGO, THERE WAS AN INTENSE DISCUSSION RIGHT HERE REGARDING THE HAMPTON ROAD PROJECT.
CLEARLY SOME CITIZENS WERE NOT HAPPY.
AND SPECIFICALLY REGARDING THE IMPROPER NOTIFICATION AND LACK OF TRANSPARENCY, THEY WANTED ANSWERS A FEW CITIZENS AS WELL AS DOCUMENTATION FROM PLANNING AND ZONING.
UM, THAT STATED THAT EVERY ONE OF THOSE CITIZENS HAD BEEN NOTIFIED.
THERE HAD BEEN SEVERAL MEETINGS, AND THEN WE HAD TRIED COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO EMPHASIZED AND SAID, EVERYONE'S BEEN NOTIFIED AND EVERYONE RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS.
WELL, AS A RESULT OF THAT, THE ITEM WASD UNTIL MAY NEXT MONTH THEREAFTER, LESS THAN THREE DAYS FROM THIS MEETING, I RECEIVED INFORMATION THAT A COUNCIL MEMBER WHO HAD VOTED ON EVERY ASPECT OF THIS PROJECT FAILED TO RECUSE
[00:45:01]
HERSELF FROM FOUR INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS.APRIL, 2022, JUNE 1ST, 2022, NOVEMBER 22ND.
THAT WAS THE ACTUAL LANGUAGE FOR THE PROJECT AS WELL AS THAT VOTE FROM TWO WEEKS AGO.
NOW, NOBODY COULDN'T HAVE EVER BEEN A GREATER SUPPORTER, BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM.
NO PUBLIC STATEMENT HAS BEEN MADE BY THE CITY.
EVERY STORE YOU GO INTO, THIS IS ALL YOU HEAR.
WE HAVE TO SET THIS RECORD STRAIGHT BECAUSE THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF WRONGDOING.
EVEN IF THERE, IF EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE CORRECTLY, EVEN IF IT WAS AN OVERSIGHT, THERE HAS TO BE A FLOW OF COMMUNICATION FOR TRANSPARENCY.
WE AS CITY LEADERS HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE CITIZENS IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.
OUR COUNCIL IS BECOMING MORE OF A FRIENDSHIP THAN LEADERSHIP AND IT'S NOT GOOD.
WE SIT HERE AND I LOOK AND I WATCH HOW COUNCIL BICKERS WITH EACH OTHER.
YOU, WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING FOR THE CITIZENS OF DESOTO AND I'M GONNA CHALLENGE EACH OF YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
OPEN UP, OPEN UP THE FLOOR OF COMMUNICATION SO THAT CITIZENS ARE AWARE OF ANY OVERSIGHT, THE IMPACT THAT IT'S GONNA CAUSE TO THE CITY AND THE RESOLUTION GOING FORWARD.
WE WANT OUR CORRIDOR, BUT WE DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO LOOK AS IF SOMETHING HAS BEEN DONE WRONG.
WHEN WE'VE DONE IT RIGHT, LET'S GET PEOPLE TOGETHER AND SHOW THEM THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND IT HAS TO BE ABOUT BUSINESS AND LEADERSHIP.
THIS CITY DOES NOT BELONG TO A SELECT FEW.
IT BELONGS TO EVERYONE AND EVERY CITIZEN OF DESOTA.
THE PROBLEMS IN DESOTA BELONGS TO THE CITIZENS OF DESOTA AND THE TAXPAYERS.
I WOULD LIKE TO STATE FOR THE RECORD, I AM THAT COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAS RECUSED THEMSELVES AFTER THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, BECAUSE IT WAS A REVELATION WHEN I WAS SITTING HERE, OH, THAT MIGHT BE MY PROPERTY.
MY PROPERTY MIGHT BE IN THIS AREA.
NOT REALIZING THAT BEFORE I CONTACTED THE CITY MAN, UH, EXCUSE ME, THE CITY ATTORNEY, I ALSO CONTACTED THE CITY SECRETARY'S OFFICE TO RECUSE MYSELF.
SO IT WAS ALREADY IN THE WORKS.
I HAD NO OPPORTUNITY SINCE THAT TIME BEFORE RUMORS STARTED FILTERING, BUT I HAD ALREADY RECUSED MYSELF BECAUSE I AM AND I KNOW TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
UH, THE ATTORNEY HAS TOLD ME THAT I HAVE NOT VOTED ON ANYTHING THAT WOULD'VE BEEN OF ANY IMPACT.
AND IF I HAVE, I'M SURE HE WOULD KNOW THAT AND HE WOULD'VE LET US KNOW.
BY NOW, THERE'S NOT BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL NOW.
THERE IS NO INTENT ON WRONGDOING.
AT THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS, DO WE HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL CARDS FOR ME INDIVIDUALLY? WISH TO SPEAK NOAM.
[E. CONSENT AGENDA Items are listed on the Consent Agenda by the City Manager and are recommended to the City Council for single vote approval. An item( s) may be removed from the Consent Agenda for separate vote at the request of a Councilmember, the Mayor, or the City Manager. ]
HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.NEXT WE MOVE INTO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEMS ARE LISTED ON THE CONSENT AGENDA BY THE CITY MANAGER AND ARE RECOMMENDED TO THE CITY COUNCIL FOR SINGLE VOTE APPROVAL.
AN ITEM MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR SEPARATE VOTE AT THE REQUEST OF A COUNCIL MEMBER, THE MAYOR OR THE CITY MANAGER.
ALRIGHT, SO WE HAVE REGULAR APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING ON FEBRUARY 19TH, 2024, AND THE SPECIAL MEETING ON MARCH 18TH, 2024.
AS WELL AS RECOGNITION OF PROCLAMATION ON OUR NATIONAL ARBOR DAY.
CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 23, 20 24, ADOPTED BUDGET TO INCREASE THE REVENUE BUDGET IN THE SEWER IMPROVEMENT IMPACT FEES.
FUND 5 0 1 IN FUND FOUR 20 TO PURCHASE A NEW CONTRACTOR, UH, TO PURCHASE A NEW TRACTOR FOR THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO COMPLETE ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE PROJECTS WITHIN THE BOLTON BOONE SERVICE AREA IN FUND 5 0 6 FOR THE SOUTHWEST REGIONAL COMMUNICATION CENTER EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT FUND FOUR 13 FOR THE FIRE TRAINING FUND.
2 28 TO INCREASE THE REVENUE BUDGET IN THE WATER IMPROVEMENT IMPACT FEES FUND 5 0 6 TO INCREASE THE REVENUE BUDGET AND THE STREET IMPROVEMENT IMPACT FEES FUND 4 8 9 FOR PAYMENT TO KOHL'S DEPARTMENT STORES INC.
FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE AGREEMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT FEDERALIZED SEIZED FUND FOUR 10 IN THE WATER SEWER REPLACEMENT FUND.
CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AN EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITH QUORUM ARCHITECTS FOR THE CDBG SENIOR CENTER PROJECT AND CONSIDER RATIFYING THE CITY MANAGER'S EXECUTION OF AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH HALF ASSOCIATES IN THE AMOUNT OF $44,500 FOR ADDITIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CREATION OF HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODES AND CITY INITIATED
[00:50:01]
PROPERTY REZONING AND AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO NEGO TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE FOR ADDITIONAL CONSULTING SERVICES WITH HALF ASSOCIATES AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED $34,900.COUNSEL AT THIS TIME, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT? YES, MS. UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
UH, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, I'D LIKE TO PULL ITEM, UH, F 10 PLEASE.
UH, IT COULD BE JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, UH, I, I WANNA ASK THE QUESTION.
I HAD A CITIZEN TO CALL ME ABOUT IT.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT AND I WAS ABLE TO EXPLAIN TO THEM, I THINK FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE CITIZENS, WE MIGHT WANT TO GIVE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT F 10.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE NOW OR IF WE NEED TO PULL IT AND THEN DO IT INFORMATION AS IN JUST WHAT IT IS OR HOW HISTORICALLY, OR WHAT EXACTLY WHAT ARE YOU, SOME, SOME BACKGROUND.
JUST A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND INFORMATION.
THAT DOESN'T, I MEAN, IF YOU'RE NOT, IF YOU'RE INTENDING TO VOTE IN FAVOR OF IT, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO PULL IT UNLESS IT'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR VOTE THAT WOULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN MY OPINION.
BUT IF WE WANNA, MR. GRITA, WOULD YOU PREFER TO GIVE THAT BACKGROUND OR MR. CAMERON? YES, WE YOU.
SO, SO THIS ITEM IS PERTAINING TO, UH, KOHL'S ECONOMIC INCENTIVE AGREEMENT.
SO BACK YEARS AGO WHEN THE CITY WAS TRYING TO, UH, RECRUIT KOHLS TO COME TO THE, UH, CITY, UH, THE CITY UTILIZED WHAT IS CALLED, UH, ECONOMIC INCENTIVE AGREEMENT IN ORDER TO, UH, BASICALLY IT, IT IS, IT'S AN ECONOMIC INCENTIVE TOOL THAT A LOT OF CITIES USED IN ORDER TO, UH, ATTRACT, UH, BUSINESSES TO THIS, TO THE AREA.
AND SO THIS PARTICULAR DEAL, UH, ALLOWED COALS TO RECEIVE A REBATE OF A PORTION OF THEIR, UH, SALES TAX THAT THEY, THAT THEY GENERATE FOR, UH, THE SALES OF THE GOODS THAT THEY PRODUCE AND, AND SELL.
AND SO, UH, WHAT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS DOING IS, UH, WHAT HAPPENS IS THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF FISCAL YEAR 2023, THEY RECORDED THEIR SALES TAX THAT THEY CAP THEY CAPTURED, AND THEN BASED ON THE AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM, WE REBATE A PERCENTAGE OF THAT IN THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
SO BASICALLY WHAT THIS, UH, ITEM IS DOING IS ALLOWING COUNCIL TO APPROVE GIVING COUNCIL'S APPROVAL TO PAY THEM THE REBATE THAT'S, UH, IN LINE WITH THE CONTRACT THAT WE SIGNED.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS THE ANNUAL THING.
THE, THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL SEE IS THIS, THIS REBATE AMOUNT IS LESS THAN IT HAD BEEN IN PREVIOUS YEARS BECAUSE THERE, THERE WAS A CON CONTROLLER RULING THAT HAD TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE DESTINATION AND THE LOCATION OF THE, UH, THE LOCATION OF THE SHIPMENT VERSUS THE DESTINATION OF THE SHIPMENT AND WHERE THE SALES TAX WERE GENERATED.
IT USED TO BE THAT THE SALES SHACK SALES TAX COULD BE APPLIED TO THE LOCATION WHERE THE GOODS WERE SHIPPED AND THE CONTROLLER RULE THAT IT HAD TO BE, UH, APPLIED TO THE DESTINATION LOCATION.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, WE'VE SEEN WHAT WE, THE, THE AMOUNT THAT WE ARE, UH, REATING COALS EACH YEAR, WE'VE SEEN IT GO DOWN, UH, THIS YEAR.
THAT'S WHY THIS PARTICULAR ITEM IS ABOUT 400 AND SOME 66, 460 $6,000 BECAUSE OF THAT RULE CHANGE.
WHEREAS IN PRIOR YEARS, IT'S BEEN WELL OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
SO WE'VE SEEN THE REDUCTION BECAUSE OF THE CONTROLLER RULE.
SO, AND, AND ACTUALLY IT'S NOT AN APPROVAL OF THE, OF THE EXPENDITURES, THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET AMENDMENT TO MAKE THE EXPENDITURE, WHICH IS CONTRACT, WHICH WE'RE CONTRACTUALLY OBLIGATED TO DO.
THANK YOU FOR THAT CORRECTION.
AND, AND, AND ALSO, UH, CITY MANAGER, THE PORTION THAT YOU EXPLAINED THAT THE AMENDMENT IS MOVING THE MONEY FROM WHERE IT'S ALREADY BUDGETED FOR, IT'S JUST MOVING IT TO A PLACE WHERE IT CAN THEN PAY THIS AMOUNT.
YEAH, WE WE'RE BASICALLY THE, THE, SO THE, THE REVENUE IS IN THE FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.
SO WE'RE MOVING THE MONEY OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE INTO A LINE ITEM, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN EXPENSE IT.
UM, AND THEN COUNCIL IS APPROVING THAT.
SO BY DOING THAT, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY AMENDING THE BUDGET TO MOVE THE MONEY OUTTA THE FUND BALANCE INTO THE LINE ITEM.
AND COUNCIL IS APPROVING THAT AMENDMENT.
A MADAM MAYOR, I YIELD BACK DR. MARKS.
UH, MADAM MAYOR, DOES THE SAME APPLY TO ITEM NUMBER SIX AS WRCC? UM, TALKING ABOUT THE, IT SAYS THAT IT REACHED ITS MAINTENANCE PLAN, UH, THE CONSOLES THAT WERE PURCHASED IN 2008, IT SAYS IT REACHED ITS MAINTENANCE PLAN.
SO DID WE NOT KNOW THAT IT WAS GONNA REACH ITS MAINTENANCE PLAN IN BY A CERTAIN TIME? HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE I JUST FIND IT STRANGE THAT WE HAVE SO MANY, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT PERTAINS TO THE, THAT LOOKS A LITTLE FUNNY TO ME.
YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES TO, TO BUDGETING.
WELL, WELL YOU REMEMBER, WE USED TO KIND OF BRING BUDGET AMENDMENTS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, ONE AT A TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
AND SO THE, THE IDEA WAS INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, PIECEMEALING BUDGET AMENDMENTS, WE DECIDED TO KIND OF BRING 'EM ALL AT ONE TIME.
[00:55:01]
I THINK WE, I THINK YOU'RE, AND I, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND ACTUALLY READ THE LANGUAGE, BUT I, I THINK THAT'S REFERENCING THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE, UH, THE USEFUL LIFE OF THE EQUIPMENT.AND SO YES, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TO REPLACE AND THAT'S FINE.
IT'S JUST THAT DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, IT WAS GONNA COME TO THE END AT A CERTAIN TIME.
AND THAT'S WHY THE MONEY IS THERE.
IT'S JUST WE ARE MOVING IT TO THE REPLACEMENT FUND SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THE PURCHASE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I I GUESS I'M JUST THINKING IT SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE.
YOU KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE THERE, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
SO WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO COME TO THIS TO HAVE IT MOVED THERE BECAUSE WE KNOW IT'S GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE IT CAME TO THE END OF THE PLAN.
RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT.
YEAH, I MEAN, YEAH, I MEAN, WE COULD HAVE, WE COULD HAVE, WE COULD HAVE HAD IT, UH, APPROPRIATED IN A LINE ITEM FOR THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET.
UH, AND THEN, AND THEN THAT WAY YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE MADE THAT BUDGET AMENDMENT RIGHT.
THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT WHAT, 12, 13, MAYBE 14 AMENDMENTS, YOU KNOW, SO IT JUST, IT HAS A LOOK TO IT.
SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D BRING THAT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
I YIELD THAT AND SOME OF THE, AND, AND DR. MARKS, I GUESS TO THAT POINT, BUDGET AMENDMENTS ARE NOTHING UNUSUAL.
UM, AS HE MENTIONED, TYPICALLY THEY'RE DONE MORE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SOME OF THESE ARE BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO INCREASE THE REVENUE, SUCH AS LIKE THE IMPACT FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHERE WE DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE AMOUNT.
SO IT'S NOT REALLY AMENDING ANYTHING, TAKING MONEY AWAY.
SOME OF THESE ARE ACTUALLY BECAUSE THE FUNDS ARE, WE ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE FUNDS ARE.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THESE ARE EVEN THINGS THAT WE CAN AVOID, SO TO SPEAK, IN TERMS OF CERTAIN BUDGET.
MR TRANSFERS, I UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, YOU KNOW THAT THE MONEY IS ALREADY THERE AND CERTAIN FUNDS, BUT THIS PARTICULAR ONE, WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA TO END.
WE KNEW IT WAS GONNA END AT A CERTAIN TIME.
I JUST DON'T SEE WHY WE HAD TO MOVE IT NOW WHEN WE KNEW IN ADVANCE THAT WE HAD TO DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE.
BUT MS. SUTTON, CAN YOU, I GET BACK.
CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME, JUST SOME INSIGHT ON WHY IT'S DONE THAT WAY? I THINK THAT MAY HELP PROVIDE CLARITY TO COUNSEL AND THE AUDIENCE THAT'S WATCHING.
AND, UM, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
UM, WHAT COUNCIL, UH, COUNCILWOMAN MARK STATED, UH, BUT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, THE EXHIBIT, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, AS THE MAYOR STATED, THE THE ACTUAL REVENUE IS INCREASING.
SO WE'RE INCREASING REVENUE IN ONE FUND.
WE'RE ONLY DOING THAT SO THAT WE CAN THEN EXPENSE IT OUT OF THE CORRECT FUND.
SO IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A MOVING AROUND AND SUBTRACTING THE FUND BALANCE OF ONE FUND AND ADDING THE FUND BALANCE TO THE OTHER FUND.
BUT WELL NOTED WHAT YOU STATED.
ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS BEFORE WE CALL FOR A MOTION? YES.
AND, AND THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR AND, AND TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, MARK'S POINT, THERE WERE A FEW THINGS IN HERE THAT DID, UM, STRIKE ME.
SO, UM, JUST IN ANTICIPATING IT AS WE MOVE INTO THIS NEXT BUDGET, BUDGET SEASON, UM, IT WOULD BE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, JUST WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FIREFIGHTERS TRAINERS TRAININGS, MY ANTICIPATION IS THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT, BUT BECAUSE THERE WERE MORE STUDENTS, AND SO HERE'S THE INCREASE.
SO CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT, SO UNDERSTAND WHY THERE WOULD BE AN INCREASE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE ANTICIPATING AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE HIRING FOR? SO JUST DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, UM, WOULD, WOULD LOVE TO, TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT BETTER, BUT JUST AS WE LEAD INTO BUDGET SEASON, 'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN QUESTIONED YEAR AFTER YEAR EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN ON COUNCIL AS IT RELATES TO THE VARIOUS BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND THEN THE, THE VOLUME OF THEM.
AND SO, THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR.
IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE, UH, CONSENT AGENDA.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BY SECOND BY MAYOR PROTE HUGHES TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
COUNSEL? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE.
THE READING OF THIS ORDINANCE APPLIES TO ITEMS F THREE THROUGH F 12, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING CERTAIN BUDGET AMENDMENTS PERTAINING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 20 23, 20 24, ADOPTED BUDGET AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND SECOND, COUNSEL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
MS. THOMAS, WE'LL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
NEXT WE WILL JUMP INTO OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
AND FIRST WE HAVE, I'M SORRY, ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
I'M SORRY, ARE WE NOT DOING THE
[01:00:01]
REGULAR AGENDA? MS. UH, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A GLITCH I THINK IN OUR SYSTEM AND TYPICALLY THE PUBLIC HEARINGS COME BEFORE THE REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. OH, OKAY.AND SO THERE WAS A, UM, SO SHE'S JUST MOVING IT BACK TO WHERE IT NORMALLY IS.
WE, WE, THAT WAS INTENDED TO BE STATED SO THAT THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY CONFUSION.
ATTENDEES MAY SPEAK ON ANY ITEM LISTED ON THE AGENDA DURING THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
HOWEVER, FOR TOPICS NOT SCHEDULED, ATTENDEES WILL SPEAK DURING CITIZEN APPEARANCES.
THE STANDARD TIME LIMIT IS THREE MINUTES PER SPEAKER AND MAY BE MODIFIED AT THE MAYOR'S DISCRETION TO MAINTAIN AN EFFICIENT FLOW OF THE MEETING.
COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS ARE DUE PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF AN AGENDA ITEM.
HOWEVER, COMMENT CARDS RELATED TO THE CITIZEN APPEARANCES PORTION OF THE AGENDA MUST BE SUBMITTED TO THE AMBASSADOR'S TABLE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
[1. Conduct a Public Hearing and consider Ordinance amending Planned Development-20 (PD-20) in order to establish and operate a four (4) story hotel on property located at the southwest corner of I-35 E and Wintergreen Court. The property consists of 2.908 acres of land and is addressed as 1324 Wintergreen Court. The applicant is Kiew Kam and Shiv Hospitality Group DeSoto is the property owner. (Zoning Case No. Z-1518-24).]
FIRST, WE HAVE CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ORDINANCE AMENDING PLAN DEVELOPMENT.20 IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE A FOUR STORY HOTEL ON PROPERTY LOCATED AT SOUTHWEST CORNER OF I 35 E IN WINTER GREEN COURT.
THE PROPERTY CONSISTS OF 2.908 ACRES OF LAND IN THE, AND IS ADDRESSED AS 1324 WINTER GREEN COURT.
THE APPLICANT IS Q COM AND SHIV HOSPITALITY GROUP.
DESOTO IS THE PROPERTY OWNER ZONING CASE NUMBER Z DASH 1518 DASH 24.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS CHARLES BREWER, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR.
COUNSEL, UH, ASHLEY, THIS AGENDA ITEM, UH, NORMALLY WILL BE LED BY MY PLANNING MANAGER, BEST MOON ZI, BUT SHE'S OUT OF TOWN AT A CONFERENCE.
I'M GONNA DO MY BEST TO UH, COVER ON, ON HER BEHALF.
UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS RECEIVED AN APPLICANT, UH, APPLICATION PROPOSING A FOUR STORY 13,734 SQUARE FOOT, 81 GUEST ROOM HOTEL ON 2,908 ACRES OF LAND LOCATED AT THE SOUTHWEST CORNER OF IH 35 AND GREEN WINTER GREEN COURT.
THE HOTEL WOULD COME WITH MULTIPLE AMENITIES SUCH AS A MEETING ROOM, A RESTAURANT, AN OUTDOOR POOL, AND A LOUNGE AS REQUIRED FOR A HOTEL WITHIN PLANT DEVELOPMENT.
THE APPLICANT IS MEETING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS AND IS NOT SEEKING ANY DEVIATIONS.
READING THE SECTION OF HOTELS OUT OF PLAN DEVELOPMENT TO HELP EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED, WHICH ARE SEPARATE THAN THE REQUIREMENTS WE HAVE IN OUR ZONING ORDINANCE.
BUT FOR HOTEL AND MOTEL, EACH HOTEL AND MOTEL SHOULD PROVIDE AT LEAST 75 GUEST ROOMS AND OBTAIN A LOBBY, LOUNGE AND RECREATION FACILITIES, MEETING ROOMS, AND A PLACE FOR DINING ACCORDING TO THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.
NUMBER ONE, A RESTAURANT WITH A MINIMUM SIZE OF 15 SQUARE FEET, EXCLUDING THE KITCHEN PER GUEST ROOM.
NUMBER TWO, A LOUNGE OR WAITING AREA WITH A MINIMUM SQUARE, A MINIMUM SIZE OF SIX SQUARE FEET PER GUEST ROOM.
ATRIUMS AND OTHER OPEN SPACES MAY BE COUNTED AS WAITING AREAS IF SEATINGS PROVIDED.
THREE, A LOBBY AREA, NOT INCLUDING THE WORK AREA FOR HOTEL EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS DESIGNATED AS PART OF A CHECK-IN OUT AREA FOR HOTEL GUESTS WITH A MINIMUM SIZE OF 11 SQUARE FEET PER GUEST ROOM.
FOUR, A MINIMUM OF ONE MEETING OR CONFERENCE ROOM FOR EVERY 50 GUEST ROOMS OR PORTION THAT, UH, SHOULD BE PROVIDED.
EACH MEETING ROOM SHALL BE A MINIMUM SIZE OF 400 SQUARE FEET ROOMS FOR OVERNIGHT.
GUEST LOING SHOULD NOT BE COUNTED AS MEETING ROOMS. FIVE.
A SWIMMING POOL WITH A MINIMUM SURFACE AREA OF 1000 SQUARE FEET.
ALTERNATIVE RECREATIONAL FACILITIES SUCH AS EXERCISE ROOMS, RACKETBALL, COURTS, SPARS, AND GAMES MAY BE APPROVED AS PART OF, OR INSTEAD OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SWIMMING POOL ON A SITE PLAN FOR ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR FIVE ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, A COVERED DRIVE AREA DESIGNATED FOR THE TEMPORARY PARKING OF HOTEL MOTEL GUESTS WHILE CHECKING IN OR OUT SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED ADJACENT TO THE LOBBY OR REGISTRATION AREA.
NEXT ONE, EACH GUEST ROOM SHALL HAVE A MINIMUM INTERIOR AREA OF 325 SQUARE FEET, INCLUDING SLEEPING, SLEEPING AREAS, CLOSETS, AND BATHROOMS. THE NEXT ONE, EACH HOTEL MOTEL GUEST SHALL PROVIDE A TELEVISION AND TELEPHONE.
NEXT ONE, HEAVY LOAD EQUIPMENTS LONGER THAN 40 FEET SHALL NOT BE PERMITTED ON THE HOTEL SITE EXCEPT FOR THE DELIVERY OF GOODS SERVICES FOR USE BY THE HOTEL OR MOTEL.
AND THE LAST REQUIREMENT ON SITE, SELF-SERVICE OR COINED OPERATED LAUNDRY FACILITIES SHALL NOT BE AVAILABLE TO HOTEL GUESTS.
QUICKLY GOING THROUGH MS. MU MIRANDA'S, UH, PRESENTATION, UM, AGAIN, IT'S A FULL STORY HOTEL ON THE CORNER OF 35 AND WINTERGREEN COURT.
UH, WE HAVE A MAP FROM DA TO LET YOU KNOW THE, UH, GENERAL PROXIMITY.
ALSO NOTE THAT THIS IS A SECOND SUBMITTAL.
[01:05:01]
SUBMITTAL WAS SUBMITTED THAT IT DID HAVE SEVERAL DEVIATIONS AND THAT REQUEST WAS DENIED.SO THE APPLICANT DOES HAVE A RIGHT TO COME BACK, UH, HAD HIS CHOOSING AND THIS IS HIS PROPOSED SITE PLAN AND MAKING THOSE MODIFICATIONS.
AGAIN, THIS PROPERTY IS WITHIN A LARGER PD 20.
THIS USE IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE CITY'S 2024 COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN, WHICH IDENTIFIES THAT SECTION OF THE I 35 FRONTAGE ROAD AS BEING DESTINATION MIXED USAGES.
UH, THE THIRD FAIR PLAN, UH, THE PROPERTY ACTUALLY WILL ONLY HAVE ACCESS FROM WINTERGREEN COURT.
UH, TDOT HAS DENIED THE APPLICANT FROM HAVING A CURB CUT AND IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS, THEY HAVE BEEN REQUIRED TO HAVE A WIDER OPENING AND THUS THEIR SINGLE OPENING HAS BEEN APPROVED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE ORIGINAL PD WAS IN 84.
THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE CHANGES, UH, OVER THE PAST SO MANY YEARS.
UH, THIS CASE, UH, AS I SAID BEFORE, HAD GONE TO THE PNZ AND WAS DENIED, AND, AND THE APPLICANT, UH, DID NOT APPEAL THAT REQUEST.
AGAIN, A FULL STORY, 81 GUEST ROOM, SPRING HILL HOTEL WITH MULTIPLE IMMUNITIES.
UM, THE PREVIOUS APPLICATION HAD NO RESTAURANT, HAD ONE BOARDROOM CORN OPERATED WASH AND DRYER, WHICH WAS NOT SUPPORTED.
AND AS I READ EARLIER, THEY ARE HAVING ALL THE AMENITIES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED IN THIS PD WITH NO EXCEPTIONS.
THIS IS THE APPLICANT'S SITE PLAN.
UH, JUST FOR REFERENCE AS I SPOKE, THERE'S GONNA BE ONLY ONE INTEREST AND IT IS DIRECTLY OFF OF WINTERGREEN COURT, RIGHT ADJACENT, ADJACENT TO THE SOUTHBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD.
AND THIS WIDTH, AGAIN, HAS BEEN APPROVED BY OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN ORDER TO MEET THEIR DEMANDS FOR, UH, EGRESS AND ACCESSING ALL AROUND THE, UH, PROPERTY ITSELF.
UH, THE NEXT IS THE LANDSCAPE PLAN.
THEY'RE MEETING THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CITY'S LANDSCAPE PLAN.
UH, THIS IS THE BUILDING ELEVATIONAL REVIEW.
UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, WITH THIS PARTICULAR PD, AS EACH USER COMES, WE DO HAVE TO GET A SITE PLAN ELEVATION AND A LANDSCAPE PLAN, WHICH BECOMES A PART OF THAT ORDINANCE THAT, UH, AS REFERENCED, THIS IS THE FLOOR PLAN OF THE, UH, IT DOES SHOW THE LOWER FLOOR AND THE NEXT FLOOR ARE THE, IT WILL BE THE SAME ON TWO, THREE, AND FOUR.
CITY STAFF HAS MET OUR STATE AND LOCAL REQUIREMENTS.
WE PUT A NOTICE IN THE, UH, MARCH 10TH, UH, PUBLICATION OF THE CITY'S PAPER GENERAL CIRCULATION, WHICH IS THE DAILY FOCUS NEWS.
UM, NOTICES WERE MET OUT, MAILED OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 200 AND 400 FEET.
AND, UM, AS OF LAST WEEK, THE CITY HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY LETTERS BACK IN SUPPORT OF OR IN OPPOSITION OF ON MARCH 26TH.
THE PLANNING IS ZONING COMMISSION RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL TO THE CITY COUNCIL, THE APPLA REQUEST.
AND THIS MOTION WAS APPROVED BY A VOTE OF SIX TO ZERO.
TONIGHT, STAFF SUPPORTS THE APPLICANT REQUEST, AND THIS P AND Z'S RECOMMENDATION AND REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, AND A PUBLIC HEARING IS REQUIRED.
FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THIS CASE, I'LL ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE.
REAL QUICK, UH, MR. BREW, JUST TO KIND OF SIMPLIFY IT, FOR THOSE UP HERE IN THE, IN THE VIEWING AUDIENCE AND, AND THOSE HERE TODAY, THIS MEETS ALL THE BASE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING.
IT'S A USE OF, IS ALLOWED BY WRIGHT.
THE ONLY REASON IT'S THE PD IS BEFORE US IS TO INCORPORATE THE SITE, THE SITE PLAN, THE ELEVATIONS, AND THE LANDSCAPE PLAN, WHICH ALSO MEET ALL THE, ALL THE, UH, BASE REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING.
UH, AT THIS TIME, DOES THE APPLICANT HAVE AN ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION? ARE THEY HERE? THEY'RE HERE, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY PRESENTATION.
UH, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER BYRD TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COUNSEL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
MS. THOMAS, DO WE HAVE CARDS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK? WE DO HAVE, WE DO.
MS. WILLIAMS, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY FOR THE RECORD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
ANNA WILLIAMS DESOTA, TEXAS, 32 YEARS HERE IN DESOTA, AND I'M KIND OF LIKE FANNIE LOU HAMER.
I'M SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED OF MOTELS AND HOTELS.
WE NEED SOMEONE TO COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS.
[01:10:01]
DARN MOTEL.WE'RE GETTING BEAT UP BY THESE OTHER SMALL CITIES.
I WENT ALL OVER THESE CITIES, SMALL CITIES, AND WHAT THEY'RE BUILDING IS AFFORDABLE HOMES, NICE RESTAURANTS AND AREAS WHERE KIDS CAN PLAY.
SMOKE SHOPS ARE ANOTHER PIECE OF MESS THAT WE HAVE.
I LOOK OVER AT BIG LOTS AND I SEE ANOTHER SMOKE SHOP.
WHEN THE PAVEMENT NEEDS TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE WITH IT, WHO ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OVER THESE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, THESE, UH, MALLS AND THE, ALL THE CONCRETE.
IT'S WORSE THAN WHEN I WAS, UH, THE, UH, SORRY.
UM, MS. RAPHAEL WERE HELPING US WITH ALL OF THE STREETS ON THAT AREA, BEING, UH, JUST PUT BACK TOGETHER.
WHO THE HECK WANTS A MOTEL HOTEL ANYMORE? IT'S A WHOLE COMING TO A MOTEL.
ALL WE ARE DOING IS GETTING A BUNCH OF FOLKS WHO COME OFF OF 1 26.
HOW DO I KNOW? BECAUSE I GO TO CHURCH TO ONE OF THE OLDEST BLACK CHURCHES IN THE CITY.
THEY ARE TRYING TO DO BETTER, GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING.
BUT WITH DESOTA, WE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE IN DESOTA DESERVES BETTER.
YOU THINK THEY'RE NOT UPSET ABOUT THAT? YOU THINK ALL WE WANT IS ANOTHER MOTEL.
WE NEED TO TEAR THAT PIECE OF JUNK DOWN.
THAT NEEDS TO BE IT'S OLD HOTEL.
I'M SURE PEOPLE BREAK IN, GO IN THERE AND SLEEP AND DO DRUGS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
WE ARE MAKING IT OUT OF A DRUG HOUSE, A DRUG COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, MS. MURSON SAID, YOU KNOW, WE OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO DO BETTER.
AT FIRST, I THOUGHT MS. MURSON WAS OFF THE CHAIN.
DO BETTER FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND FOR THE CITIZENS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AFTER A WHILE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START BOYCOTTING Y'ALL GUYS.
THE EAST, WELL, LET'S GET A CUP OF COFFEE AND CALL IT A DAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE EAST.
NO, THE PEOPLE IN THE EAST ARE SICK AND TIRED OF THIS.
SO I'M SAYING TO YOU, GET A GRIP AND GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THIS COMMUNITY.
MS. WILLIAMS, THAT CONCLUDES YOUR TIME.
MM-HMM,
UM, THERE IS SPACE IF THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO REBUTTAL OR WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS ANY OF THE COMMENTS MADE.
UM, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MARK, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER R CHISHOLM TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COUNSEL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE PUBLIC HEARING GETS NOW CLOSED AT THIS TIME.
COUNSEL, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION BEFORE WE GO TO QUESTIONS AND OUR READING OF THE ORDINANCE.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
IT HAS BEEN MOVED, UH, BY COUNCILMAN BYRD, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE HAVE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT.
CERTAINLY, UM, FOR OUR CITIZENS THAT WE, WE HEAR YOU.
UH, THIS HAPPENS TO BE IN MY AREA.
UM, THIS WAS DENIED ORIGINALLY BECAUSE IT DID NOT MEET OUR BARE MINIMUM STANDARD.
IT HAD VENDING, IT HAD CORN MACHINES, IT HAD ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WAS, WAS NOT A FULL FLEDGE, UH, FULL SERVICE HOTEL.
WHAT THEY HAVE COME BACK IS A FULL SERVICE HOTEL.
THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I'M SUPPORTING THIS.
THE SECOND REASON I'M SUPPORTING THIS IS BECAUSE LEGALLY BECAUSE OF THE ZONING WE HAVE TO, UM, UH, ACCORDING TO WHAT, UH, JOE GARDA SAID AT THE BEGINNING IS IT HAS MET, HE HAS NOT ASKED FOR ANY DEVIATIONS.
AND WHEN THEY DON'T ASK FOR DEVIATIONS, THE STANDARD, THE ZONING STAY IN PLACE, IF THEY MEET ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT'S ON OUR BOOKS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WILL GO ON, ON, GO ON THE LIMB AND SAID, THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THIS HAMPTON ROAD CHARACTER CODE IS SO IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THEN WE GET TO SET THE EXPECTATIONS UP FRONT, AND THEN THOSE WHO COME IN MUST MEET THOSE EXPECTATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE EXPECTATIONS THAT WE SET
[01:15:01]
ON THIS 35 CORRIDOR, WHICH IS OUR GROWTH CORRIDOR, UH, THEY HAVE MET THE MINIMUM, UH, REQUIREMENTS.THEY HAVE MET THE REQUIREMENTS IN THAT AREA.
AND LEGALLY, WE, WE, WE ARE BY LAW LEGALLY, UM, UM, OBLIGATED, UH, WE HAVE NO GROUND TO TO DENY IT AT THIS POINT.
AND I BELIEVE I AM, UM, SAYING, UH, THAT, UH, I'M JUST KINDA INTERPRETING WHAT THE ATTORNEY HAD SAID AT THE BEGINNING.
IS THAT CORRECT, MR. GAR GARDA? THAT THAT'S CORRECT.
UM, WHAT WE HAVE BEFORE US IS, IS A PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
AND WITHIN THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, IT LAYS OUT WE HAVE A BASE ZONING, A PLAN DEVELOPMENT THAT LAYS OUT THE, THE MINIMUM, THE BASIC CRITERIA THAT NEEDS TO BE MET.
AND ONCE SOMEBODY MEETS THAT CRITERIA, MEETS THAT ZONING, WE MOVE AWAY FROM, FROM DISCRETIONARY APPROVAL OF ZONING.
AND NOW WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS WE HAVE A, A SITE PLAN, A LANDSCAPE PLAN, AND A SITE SITE PLAN, LANDSCAPE PLAN AND ELEVATIONS THAT'S MORE MINISTERIAL.
THE REASON THIS PD, NORMALLY THEY COULD JUST WALK INTO THE CITY AND ALL THIS COULD BE APPROVED WITHOUT COMING BEFORE US.
BUT WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IS WE'VE INCORPORATED THE ELEVATIONS, THE SITE PLAN, AND THE LANDSCAPE PLAN AS PART OF THAT PLAN DEVELOPMENT, JUST FOR A DOUBLE LAYER OF PROTECTION.
SO WE CAN GO BACK TO THAT AND SAY, YOU NEED TO MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS IN THESE THREE PLANS.
IF YOU DON'T, IT'S ACTUALLY, IT'S A, IT'S A $2,000 A DAY PENALTY.
SO WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT AS EXTRA PROTECTION IN THIS PARTICULAR PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS DO THE SITE PLANS, LANDSCAPE PLANS, AND ELEVATIONS MEET THE REQUIREMENTS.
UM, AND, AND MADAM MAYOR, JUST, UH, JUST, UH, UH, IF I COULD TAKE A LIBERTY, THE OTHER DEAL IS THAT, UM, I, I LISTENED, WE ABSOLUTELY LISTENED TO THE CONSTITUENTS AND ONE OF THE CONSTITUENTS THAT LIVED RIGHT BEHIND THAT NEIGHBORHOOD, I BELIEVE SHE IS HERE, UH, WE LISTENED TO WHAT THEY WERE TRYING TO PUT THERE NEXT TO HER VERY LOVELY HOME.
THE OTHER LOCATIONS MAYBE NEED TO BE TORN DOWN AND REIMAGINED, AND WE ARE PLAYING HARDBALL JUST SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW VERY HARDBALL WITH THOSE PEOPLE.
NOT TO OPEN UP AGAIN, BUT, UH, I'M SORRY.
BUT, BUT, BUT WITH THAT SAID, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT WE'RE HERE.
BUT THE ORDINANCE, THAT'S WHY, AGAIN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE OTHER CHARTER, UH, CHARACTER CODES AND WE GET INTO OTHER PLACES, THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE SET THE EXPECTATIONS UPFRONT SO THAT THEIR MINIMUM WILL BE, UH, UH, OUR ACCEPTANCE WOULD MEET OUR ACCEPTANCE LETTER.
UH, COUNCILMAN BYRD, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BEFORE WE, UH, HEAR THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? YES.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL? SURE THING.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT I'M 100% CLEAR ABOUT WHERE THIS IS LOCATED.
IS THIS LOCATED AT THE, UH, INTERSECTION, UM, AT THE CORNER ACROSS FROM THE MAGNUSSON OR THE SAME PAD AS THE MAG MAGNET? RIGHT NEXT TO IT IS A DIFFERENT, UH, TRACK OF LAND, BUT AT THAT LOCATION, BUT RIGHT NEXT.
YES, AT THE CORNER OF WINTER GREEN COURT AND I 30 SOUTHBOUND I 35, THE VACANT PROPERTY THERE.
AND THEN AS IT RELATES TO THE, OKAY, SO IT, IT RELATES TO THE LANDSCAPE PLAN.
SO DEFINITELY SAW THAT THE AREA IS ALREADY, UM, SURROUNDED, SHROUDED BY TREES.
AND SO WILL MANY OF THOSE TREES BE REMOVED FOR, UM, THIS PARTICULAR SITE? THEY WILL BE REQUIRED TO, UH, ADHERE TO THE CITY'S TREE MITIGATION ORDINANCE, UH, WHEN THEY LOOK AT THOSE TREES ON THE WEST SIDE OF THAT PROPERTY.
AND THEN FOR THOSE FEW HOMES THAT ARE WITHIN THAT VICINITY, WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN SPACE WISE, GENERALLY SPEAKING FROM THEIR PROPERTY LINE WITH TREES AND THEN THOSE HOMES ALONG? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT ANSWER.
COUNCILMAN RAPHAEL, ARE YOU REQUESTING THE APPLICANT COME UP TO ASK THE QUESTION? IF, IF THEY CAN'T ANSWER IT.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE ONLY FOR THE RECORD.
UM, I'M THE DEPUTY AND I HAVE A DEVELOPER HERE WITH ME AS WELL.
SO, UM, I'M SORRY, WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION AGAIN? I'M SORRY.
YES, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, UM, THE DIFF THE VARIANCE BETWEEN YOUR PROPERTY, THE TREES THAT WILL HAVE TO COME DOWN AND THE HOMES THAT ARE ALONG.
IS IT THE WEST OF THIS PROPERTY? WEST.
SO RIGHT NOW, I'M, I'M NOT SURE IF WE CAN PULL UP THE GOOGLE MAP OR NOT.
UM, OTHERWISE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU A VISUAL.
UH, OUR PROPERTY IS AB ABOUTING, THE 35 I 35 SOUTHBOUND AND NORTH OF THE EXISTING HOTEL.
[01:20:01]
YOU KNOW, WE ARE JUST SOUTH OF THAT, UH, WINTERGREEN COURT AND WEST OF US, THERE'S A QUICK, AND WE TRY TO PRESERVE AS MUCH AS WE COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE QUICK NOT TO GET INTO THE THIRD PLANE.SO WE TRY TO PRESERVE AS MUCH TREE AS POSSIBLE AND ALSO TO ACT AS A BUFFER TO THE RESIDENTS HOME RESERV OF US.
DOES IT MAKE SENSE? I HEAR YOU.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I THINK I WAS JUST GETTING SLIGHTLY LOST.
AND SO THERE'S A CREEK THAT'S IN BETWEEN YOUR PROPERTY AND THOSE HOMES, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES.
UH, ACTUALLY THE, UM, A, A BIG PORTION OF THE CREEK FALLS ON OUR PROPERTY.
UH, WE, AND WE ARE GONNA PRESERVE AND WE, WE HAVE DONE A FIRST STUDY AND WE HAVE COME UP WITH A FLOOD PLAIN AND WE TRY NOT TO ENCROACH INTO THE FLOOD PLAIN AND PRESERVE, BECAUSE WITHIN THE CREEK THERE'S A LOT OF TREES LIKE HEAVY WOODED.
UM, COUNSEL, WE DO HAVE A ORDINANCE, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE AND MAP OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS AS HERETO FOR AMENDED BY AMENDING AND RESTATING PLAN DEVELOPMENT.
NUMBER 20, LOCATED IN, LOCATED ON 225.75 ACRES OF LAND FOR THE PROPERTY DESCRIBED IN EXHIBIT A, PROVIDING A CONFLICTS CLAUSE, PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF $2,000 FOR EACH OFFENSE AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, IT HAS BEEN MOVED IN PROPERLY.
SECOND, WE WILL USE OUR VOTING PADS.
AT THIS TIME MS. THOMAS, WE'LL
[2. Conduct public hearing and consider an Ordinance to amend Planned Development-139 (PD-139) and obtain a Specific Use Permit (SUP) in order to establish and operate a "Wedding, Banquet & Party Facility (Indoor/Outdoor)" on Tract 11R in the DeSoto Event Center Addition (160 Seahawk Drive). The applicant/contractor/property owner is Wendell Eric Lockhart (Covenant Homes Construction & Renovation LLC). (Case Z-1516-24)]
HAVE THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.NEXT, WE HAVE CONDUCT PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND PLAN DEVELOPMENT 1 39 AND OBTAIN A SPECIFIC USE PERMIT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE A WEDDING BANQUET AND PARTY FACILITY.
INDOOR OUTDOOR ON TRACK 11 R AND THE DESOTO EVENT CENTER EDITION ONE 60 C HAWK DRIVE.
THE APPLICANT CONTRACTOR PROPERTY OWNER IS WENDELL ERIC LOCKHART.
CONVENIENT HOMES, CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION.
LLC, CASE NUMBER Z DASH 1516 DASH 24.
COMING BACK WE HAVE CHARLES BREWER, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR.
ON SEPTEMBER THE 23RD, 2021, THE CITY'S BUILDING PERMIT AND INSPECTIONS OFFICE ISSUED A COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A COMMERCIAL BUILDING FOR THE USE AS A WEDDING BANQUET AND PARTY FACILITY, INDOOR ONLY.
THE LAST REQUESTED INSPECTION ASSOCIATED WITH THE ORIGINAL ISSUED PERMIT WAS FOR A BUILDING FLAT AND DRIVEWAY AND SIDEWALK.
AND THAT OCCURRED ON AUGUST THE FIFTH, 2022, WITH NO ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS BEING REQUESTED AND ASSOCIATED WITH THAT PERMIT.
THAT PERMIT OFFICIALLY EXPIRED ON MAY 24TH, 2023.
ON OCTO, OCTOBER THE 24TH, 2023, A PERMIT WAS REISSUED TO A NEW PROPERTY OWNER WITH THE RE REVISED SITE PLAN FOR THIS COMMERCIAL PROJECT SHOWING THE SECTION OF THE PROPOSED PARKING LOT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BUILDING AS BEING REMOVED AND LANDSCAPE TO BE ADDED.
IT WAS DETERMINED BY CITY STAFF THAT A PACIFIC USE PERMIT WOULD BE REQUIRED AS ESTABLISHED IN THE APPROVED PD 1 39.
UP ON THE SCREEN, YOU HAVE THE LOCATION, UH, NORTH OF, UH, UM, MINE WENT BLACK, NORTH OF WINTER GREEN, EAST OF HAMPTON ROAD.
IN THIS AREA THAT WE SHOW AS BEING GREEN.
UH, THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY VACANT.
DIRECTLY ACROSS THE SCHOOL IS A TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE CITY.
IN, IN THIS PLAN DEVELOPMENT, THE CITY DID COMPLY WITH ALL THE PUBLIC HEARING REQUIREMENTS.
UH, THE MAP ON THE NORTH SHOWS THE 200 AND 400 FOOT RADIUS NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
UH, WE DID, UH, SEND OUT THOSE LETTERS.
YOU WILL SEE ALSO ON THE RIGHT SIDE, UH, IN BLUE, THAT'S THE SHAPE OF THE PROPERTY, AND THAT IS WITHIN THAT, UH, PD, UH, THAT WE'RE REFERRING TO.
THE S 2 21 IS THE TRUCK DRIVING SCHOOL THAT I SPOKE ABOUT.
UH, HERE'S A COPY OF THE APPLICANT'S SITE PLAN.
UH, JUST FOR REFERENCED, THIS REGION ON THE WEST SIDE ORIGINALLY HAD BEEN SHOWN AS A PARKING LOT.
AND THIS IS THE AREA WHEN, UM, MY INSPECTORS NOTICED THE, UH, CONCRETE DRIVEWAY BEING REMOVED.
AND THUS IT BECAME CLEAR TO MY STAFF THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT DOING SOME OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH, UM, THIS WEDDING BANQUET, UH, FACILITY.
UH, THIS BUILDING ITSELF, THE LARGER BUILDING, WHICH THE NEW PROPERTY OWNER HAS, UH, TAKEN THE BALL AND DONE, HIS IMPROVEMENT
[01:25:01]
IS ACTUALLY AN 81 BY 71 FOOT, UH, BUILDING.IT HAS AN APPROACH WAY, UH, TO LET OUT PEOPLE.
IT'S A 24 BY 26, SO THE TOTAL SQUARE FOOT OF THAT LARGER BUILDING, WHICH WE'RE CALLING BUILDING A, IT IS 5,751 SQUARE FEET.
UH, THE APPLICANT IS PROPOSING A SEPARATE, SMALLER BUILDING.
IT'S GOING TO BE A 40 BY 45 FOOT SQUARE BUILDING, UH, WHICH IS 1800 SQUARE FEET.
AND THE ADDITIONAL DRAWINGS I'LL HAVE AT THIS SLIDE WOULD HELP YOU SEE THE FLOOR LAYOUT, UNDERSTAND MORE WHAT'S GOING ON.
THE LANDSCAPE PLAN IS SUBMITTED.
THEY HAVE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF OUR LANDSCAPING ORDINANCE.
THIS IS THE FRONT BUILDING ELEVATION AND THE REAR BUILDING ELEVATION.
THIS IS THE EAST AND THE WEST LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE ELEVATIONS.
AND AS YOU SAID EARLIER, THE BUILDING ITSELF IS A 81 BY 71 SQUARE FOOT, AND THEY HAVE THIS, UH, COVERED, UH, PORCH WAY IN ORDER TO, UH, LET GUESTS GET OUT WITHOUT, UH, BEING IMPACTED BY RAIN.
THIS IS THE, UH, FIRST FLOOR LAYOUT OF THE LARGER BUILDING AREA.
UM, THE APPLICANT AND HIS GENERAL MANAGER ARE HERE, AND THEY'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO GO MORE INTO DETAILS, BUT JUST IN STAFF'S UNDERSTANDING, UH, THIS IS THAT ENTRY.
I'M GONNA CALL, CALL IT COVERED PORCH.
I KNOW THERE'S A MORE TECHNICAL TERM FOR IT, BUT ONCE YOU ENTER, THERE IS A, A ACCESS AREA, A LITTLE LOBBY AREA THAT HAS RESTROOMS ON BOTH SIDES.
YOU WOULD ENTER INTO THE FACILITY.
AND THIS FACILITY, UH, THIS ASSEMBLY HALL HERE IS GONNA BE OPEN ALL THE WAY TO THE CEILING.
UH, THERE IS A STAIRWAY FOR YOU TO ACCESS TO GO TO THE SECOND FLOOR.
AND THIS IS THE SECOND FLOOR LAYOUT WHERE ONCE YOU'RE UP HERE IN THIS LOFT AREA, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO LOOK OVER INTO THE OPEN ASSEMBLY AREA.
UH, AGAIN, THIS BUILDING IS A 40 BY 45.
UH, THIS VIEW SHOWS YOU ALL THE VIEWS, UH, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST.
IT IS ALSO, UH, WHERE YOU'LL BE GOING INTO THE BUILDING, UH, AND ENTER YOUR WAY HERE.
UH, RESTROOMS TO THE LEFT AND RIGHT.
YOU'LL ENTER AGAIN THIS SMALLER ASSEMBLY HALL.
AND YOU ALSO WILL HAVE A SET OF STAIRS THAT YOU CAN GO UP TO, TO THIS LOFT AREA AND LOOK DOWN INTO THIS OPEN ASSEMBLY AREA.
UH, THIS IS THE PARKING AND LANDSCAPE PLAN, PARKING AND LIGHTING PLAN.
SO THEY WILL BE PROVIDING LIGHT.
THIS PROVIDES A, A, A CLEAR VIEW OF ALL OF THE PARKING THAT THEY'RE REQUIRED.
UH, THEY ARE PROVIDING, UM, UH, 100 PARKING SPACES.
WE HAVE, UH, REVIEWED OUR ZONING ORDINANCE TO ENSURE THAT IT IS COMPLIANCE AND IT IS IN FACT, UH, IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR ZONING REGULATION.
THIS IS THE, UH, PHOTO SHOWING THE IMPROVEMENTS AS OF, UH, APRIL THE 10TH.
UH, THIS WILL BE KIND OF THE EAST SIDE ANGLE OF VIEW, UH, AND THEN THE STRAIGHT SOUTH VIEW LOOKING, UH, SOUTH, UH, THERE IS A CREEK ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, WHICH THE APPLICANT IS GOING TO USE JUST TO HELP AESTHETIC PURPOSES WHEN THEY DO ANY TYPE OF OUTDOOR ACTIVITY ON THAT SIDE.
THIS PHOTO IS, UH, SHOWING YOU THE OPEN AREA ON THE EAST SIDE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE FLOOR FRAME FOR THE 40 BY 45.
SECOND BUILDING B THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED HERE.
THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT, UH, SH GIVES YOU A GENERAL AREA WHERE THE OUTDOOR SPACING WILL BE.
AND WHERE YOU SEE THIS SELF FENCING IS THE, UH, ADJACENT CREEK CITY STAFF RECOMMENDS THAT THE PLANNING, EXCUSE ME, CITY COUNCIL BY MOTION APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AMENDING PD 1 39 AND GRANT A PACIFIC USE PERMIT IN ORDER TO ESTABLISH AND OPERATE A WEDDING BANQUET AND PARTY FACILITY.
INDOOR AND OUTDOOR WITHIN TRACK 11 R OF THE CITY OF THE DESOTO EVENT CENTER, LOCATED AT ONE 60, UH, SEAHAWK DRIVE, AS PRESENTED.
WHO IS THE APPLICANT, THE CONTRACTOR, AND THE, THE PROPERTY OWNER, THE APPLICANT, AND THE PROPERTY OWNER.
I'M AND THE CONTRACTOR, UH, HE IS HERE.
THAT'S MR. UH, WENDELL LOCKER.
AND AGAIN, HIS, UH, GENERAL MANAGER, SHE'S ALSO HERE.
AND, UH, THEY WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
I'LL ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, COUNSELOR, ARE THERE ANY, WELL, WE HAVE, WE SAID THE APPLICANT DOES HAVE A, AN ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION, NOT A PRESENTATION, BUT JUST LIKE TO, UH, PRESENT THEMSELVES TO YOU.
CERTAINLY THEY CAN, THEY CAN COME BACK.
NO, UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR CITY OF RESIDENCE FOR THE RECORD.
WENDY LOCKHART, MY CITY OF REFERENCE, WAXAHATCHEE,
[01:30:01]
TEXAS.JESSICA BREWER, WAXAHATCHEE, AND, SORRY, JESSICA BREWER.
YEAH, WE JUST WANNA JUST COME FORWARD TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES TO YOU GUYS.
UM, WORKING WITH THE CITY OF DESOTO HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
UH, THIS IS AN EVENT CENTER THAT'S BEEN IN OUR VISION FOR, UH, ABOUT 10 YEARS NOW.
MY NAME IS, I'M THE CEO AND PRESIDENT OF COVENANT HOMES CONSTRUCTION AND RENOVATION.
WE'RE NOT JUST BUILDING THIS BUILDING, BUT THIS WILL BE A BUILDING THAT WE ACTUALLY OWN.
UH, THE NAME OF IT IS CALLED THE ARTIST EVENT CENTER.
UH, MY MOM HAD A KIDS, I WAS THE BABY OF THOSE EIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, MOTHER'S DAY, IT ALL, AS, AS YOU KNOW, FOR, I'M 52 YEARS OR 51 NOW, I'LL BE 52 THIS YEAR.
AND EVERY YEAR ON MOTHER'S DAY, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE NEVER VISITED THE, UH, GRAVE SITE.
AND, UM, AND THEN ONCE YOU GET OLD AND, AND, AND I WANTED TO DO SOMETHING TO HONOR HER, YOU KNOW, AND IT'S, AND IT'S KIND OF MOTHER'S DAY.
IT'S KIND OF HARD, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR IT NEVER GETS EASIER.
UM, SO WE NAMED THIS EVENT CENTER AFTER MY MOM, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE MY NIECE GRANDMOTHER.
UM, SHE ACTUALLY PASSED, I THINK, WERE YOU BORN A YEAR BEFORE? EIGHT, SEVEN.
ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE SHE WAS BORN.
SO SHE NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO EVEN GET TO KNOW HER GRANDMOTHER.
UM, SO, BUT SHE WILL SERVE AS THE GENERAL MANAGER OF THE EVENT CENTER.
SHE WILL RUN THIS, THIS WILL BE A FAMILY LOOM.
UH, IT WOULD BE OPERATED WITH EXCELLENCE ON EVERY LEVEL.
A LOT OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE WHEN WE PURCHASED THE FACILITY, UM, WAS TO JUST DO THAT.
WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO HAVE, UM, A WEDDING.
WELL, I'LL LET HER GET INTO THAT ASPECT OF IT, BUT
AND THAT'S A FAMILY, UM, MEMBER, UH, FACILITY.
AND THAT'S THE SAME LEVEL THAT WE'RE GONNA BE PUTTING INTO THE ARTIST.
IT'S GONNA, THE OASIS IS GONNA, IT'S GONNA BE KNOWN FOR THE OASIS.
WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE GREEN SPACE.
WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE TREES, WE'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CREEK, UH, TO CREATE THAT OASIS FOR THE OUTDOOR WEDDINGS AND SO FORTH.
SO I'LL PASS THIS ON MS. JESSICA.
SO, AS MY UNCLE MENTIONED, WE ARE VERY EXCITED FOR THIS PROJECT OF THE RS EVENT CENTER.
UM, JUST TO TOUCH A LITTLE ON WHAT HE SAID, TO PAY HOMAGE TO, UM, AND, AND NAME THIS PROJECT AFTER MY LATE GRANDMOTHER IS REALLY A DEEPER MEANING FOR US.
SO TO, TO EXPRESS BEYOND WORDS.
I REALLY CAN'T HOW DEEPLY WE'RE COMMITTED TO MAKING THIS, UM, BUILDING EXEMPLIFY SOPHISTICATION AND, AND CLASS AND EXCELLENCE TO CARRY HER LEGACY.
UM, JUST TO GIVE A DESCRIPTION OF THE SPACES THAT WE PLAN TO HAVE, WE'LL HAVE A INDOOR RECEPTION HALL THAT'S CALLED OUR A A C BALLROOM, OUR CEREMONY SPACE CALLED THE HAVEN.
AND OUR OASIS WILL BE A BEAUTIFUL LUSH CEREMONY SPACE FOR OUTDOORS AND MORE THAN JUST THE PHYSICAL SPACES, THIS WILL BE A PLACE WHERE THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN REALLY CONNECT, CAN SHARE BEAUTIFUL CELEBRATIONS AND MOMENTS AND MILESTONES IN THEIR LIFE.
UM, ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY OF DESOTO.
UM, AS IT WAS KIND OF MENTIONED ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE OF THINGS, WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, REVITALIZE AND ABANDONED BUILDING THAT WAS SITTING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS.
SO IN DOING THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'RE GENERATING TAX REVENUE FOR THE CITY, AND WE'RE ALSO FULFILLING A NEED FOR THE CITY OF DESOTO WHEN WE WERE INTERACTING WITH DIFFERENT POTENTIAL CLIENTS AND VENDORS.
AND, AND SOME BIG NAMES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME AND VISIT US ON OUR HARD HAT TOUR, WOLFGANG PUCK AND PEROT MUSEUM.
WE'VE HAD THE HONOR OF SPEAKING WITH THEM, BUT WE'VE RECEIVED A WONDERFUL AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK INDICATING THAT THERE'S A GREAT DEMAND FOR A FACILITY LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE IN THE DESOTO AREA.
SO WE'VE BEEN INSPIRED BY THEIR SHARED ENTHUSIASM AS WELL.
BUT, UM, WITH THAT SAID, WE, WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE HUMBLY ASK FOR THE SUPPORT OF YOU GUYS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE PROGRESS OF BRINGING THIS PROJECT ARTIST EVENT CENTER TO LIFE.
THANK YOU MR. LOCKHART AND MS. BREWER, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UM, ANY PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS, UM, FOR THE APPLICANT BEFORE THEY TAKE THEIR SEAT? JUST A, A QUICK QUESTION.
MADAM MAYOR, SIR, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO YOU'RE NOT RELATED TO OUR BREWER, ARE YOU MA'AM, FOR TRANSPARENCY? NO, MA'AM.
AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING MOVE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
UH, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
[01:35:01]
PLEASE SAY AYE.THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN.
AT THIS TIME, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT CARDS? WE HAVE NO CARDS FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO SPEAK.
SO AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN BY SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COUNSEL, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
COUNSEL, I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MADAM MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE, UH, THIS PROJECT AS PRESENTED.
UM, I BELIEVE I HEARD YOU COME OUT THE GATE FIRST COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
UM, SO WE, IT'S BEEN MOVED PROPERLY.
SECOND TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS FOR STAFF OR APPLICANT BEFORE WE HAVE THE READING OF THE ORDINANCE? NO QUESTIONS TO PUT A I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT.
I DO APPRECIATE, UM, THE LEVEL THAT YOU GUYS CAME AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO BRING SOMETHING ELSE BEAUTIFUL TO DESOTO.
I JUST ASK THAT YOU BRING IT
COUNCIL, ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? OKAY, HEARING NONE.
THERE IS A ORDINANCE, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, AMENDING THE COMPREHENSIVE ZONING ORDINANCE IN MAP OF THE CITY OF DESOTO AS HERETO FOR AMENDED BY GRANTING A CHANGE IN ZONING BY GRANTING SPECIFIC USE PERMIT NUMBER THREE 13 TO ALLOW FOR AN APPROXIMATELY 1,806 SQUARE FEET, 0.041 ACRES OF LAND BEING A TRACT LAND SITUATED IN THE SUSAN BILLINGS LEASE SURVEY, ABSTRACT NUMBER 1 34, CITY OF DESOTO, DALLAS COUNTY, TEXAS, COMMONLY KNOWN AS ONE 60 SEAHAWK DRIVE, PRESENTLY ZONED IS PLANNED DEVELOPMENT NUMBER 1 39 WITH A BASE ZONING OF LIGHT INDUSTRIAL TO BE USED WITH AN WITHIN WEDDING BANQUET AND PARTY FACILITY.
INDOOR OUTDOOR USE, PROVIDING A COMPLEX CLAUSE, PROVIDING A APPEALING CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SEVERABILITY CLAUSE, PROVIDING A SAVINGS CLAUSE, PROVIDING FOR A PENALTY OF FINE NOT TO EXCEED THE SUM OF $2,000 FOR EACH OFFENSE AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
AT THIS TIME, MS. THOMAS, WE'LL HAVE, UH, THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, WE'LL MOVE BACK UP TO OUR REGULAR AGENDA ITEMS. YES, MA'AM.
[1. Consider authorizing the Interim City Manager to execute a Professional Services Agreement with Garver, LLC (Garver) in the amount of $2,728,408 for engineering and design services for the Bolton Boone Pressure Zone 20-inch water transmission main, pump station, and elevated storage tank]
WE HAVE CONSIDERED AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH GARVER LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,728,408 FOR ENGINEERING AND DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE BOLTON BOONE PRESSURE ZONE 20 INCH WATER TRANSMISSION MAIN PUMP STATION AND ELEVATED STORAGE TANK.MAKING THE PRESENTATION IS BRANDON LACEY, PUBLIC UTILITIES DIRECTOR.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNSEL.
THIS ITEM BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING IS A STAFF REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE A, UH, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH GARBER LLC AND ASSOCIATION WITH VARIOUS INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BOLTON BOONE PUMP STATION.
THE COUNCIL MIGHT, UH, RECALL BACK DURING, I GUESS IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AGO NOW, DURING THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET PREPARATION, UH, PROCESS, THERE WERE SEVERAL, UM, WORKSHOPS THAT WERE CONDUCTED WITH THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT, IN WHICH THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER, AS WELL AS MYSELF, REALLY EMPHASIZED SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, MOVED FORWARD SOONER THAN RATHER THAN LATER TO ADDRESS SOME OF THE ISSUES AND SOME OF THE, UH, CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE RELATED TO GROWTH, SPECIFICALLY WITHIN THE NORTHWESTERN, UH, PORTION OF OUR CITY.
WE MENTIONED TO THE CITY COUNCIL THAT, UM, THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY FORMULATE HOW WE, UH, CREATE OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS HOW WE PROPOSE OUR, UH, UTILITY GRADE STRUCTURE MOVING FORWARD.
AND, UH, WE'VE MENTIONED TO YOU AS WELL THAT WE WOULD BE BACK SOON WITH A RECOMMENDATION FOR A PATH FORWARD.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE TO YOU TODAY THAT I, UH, KEPT MY PROMISE.
I'M BACK AND PENDING YOUR APPROVAL.
I'M EXCITED TO SAY THAT TODAY IS THAT DAY TO ACTUALLY MOVE FORWARD.
SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY OF HOW WE GOT TO THIS DESTINATION.
BACK IN 2017, THE CITY ISSUED A REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, UH, FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES, AS WELL AS, UH, MASTER PLANNING WITH, UH, UM, UH, ACTUALLY FOR, UH, ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES AND MASTER PLANNING AND, UH, DESIGN.
AND OUT OF THAT SOLICITATION, UH, THE CITY SELECTED GARVER TO BE OUR, UH, CONSULTANT OF RECORD FOR, UH, OUR VARIOUS WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM NEEDS.
IN 2018, THE UH, CITY COUNCIL APPROVED THE CITY MANAGER TO INITIATE A CONTRACT TO UPDATE OUR WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM MASTER PLAN.
UH, FROM THAT MASTER PLAN, THERE WAS ABOUT 27 PROJECTS THAT WERE RECOMMENDED TO BE COMPLETED OVER A 25 YEAR, UH, TIME SPAN.
THERE WERE VARIOUS TRIGGERS FOR THOSE PROJECTS, WHETHER IT WAS, UH, GROWTH PROJECTIONS, UM, CONDITION, OR, UH, AN ASSESSMENTS.
[01:40:02]
UH, ONE OF THE MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WAS IN OUR MASTER PLAN WAS THE, UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BOLTON BOONE, UM, SERVICE AREA.AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNCIL, THE BOLTON BOONE SERVICE AREA IS PRETTY MUCH THE NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF OUR CITY, UM, EAST OF FIVE, WAY 67 SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 20.
DIRECTLY, WE WERE DIRECTIONALLY CHALLENGED IN BETWEEN DANIEL DELL AND, UH, WHEATLAND ROAD.
UM, THOSE, THAT PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY, UM, RECOMMENDED BASED ON TO ENSURE A CONTINUED REGULATORY COMPLIANCE WITH OUR REGULATORY AUTHORITY OF THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY IN REGARDS TO, UH, PUMP PUMPING REQUIREMENTS, UH, SYSTEM CAPACITY REQUIREMENTS AND ACTUALLY, AND MINIMUM, UH, SYSTEM PRESSURES.
UH, THIS PROJECT WILL GENERALLY INCLUDE DEMOLITION OF THE CURRENT BOLTON BOOM PUMP STATION AND RELOCATING IT TO THE HAMPTON ROAD PUMP STATION THAT'S OVER ON HAMPTON AND CENTER PARK INSTALLATION OF A 20 INCH WATER MAIN, UH, APPROXIMATELY 8,000 LINEAR FEET OF 20 INCH WATER MAIN FROM CENTER PARK WEST TO CEDAR RAPIDS AND WESTMORELAND AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW 500,000 GALLON, UM, ELEVATED STORAGE TANK AT THE PREVIOUS BOLTON BOOM, UH, SITE WHERE THAT PUMP STATION WILL BE DEMOLISHED.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO MENTION TO THE COUNCIL THIS EVENING, AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE THAT I SPEAK LOUD ABOUT THIS BECAUSE I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT IT, IS THAT GARVER HAS A VERY GREAT PROGRAM, UH, AN INTERNAL PROGRAM THAT REALLY ALIGNS WITH THE COUNCIL'S GOALS, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF DESOTOS GOALS CALLED THE GARVER PARTNERS PROGRAM, WHERE THEY MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT TO CULTIVATE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MWBE AND HUB VENDORS.
SO AS A PART OF THIS OVERALL PROJECT SCOPE, GARVER HAS, UH, COMMITTED TO THE CITY THAT 15% OF THIS OVERALL PROJECT SCOPE WILL BE COMMITTED TO MWBE AND AS WELL AS HUB VENDORS.
UM, I GUESS I'LL PARK THE CAR RIGHT THERE FOR A MOMENT.
WE WILL ACTUALLY, UH, CONTINUE.
I, I WILL, I WILL PRESS, UH, OUR, OUR CONSULTANTS TO GO BEYOND THAT 15%.
I THINK I STILL HOLD THE, UH, THE CROWN AS THE NEWEST DEPARTMENT HEAD, BUT BELIEVE ME, I HEAR YOU AND I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE ASSIGNMENT.
SO WE WILL DEFINITELY LOOK FOR, UH, CONTINUAL OPPORTUNITIES TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT 15%.
UM, THIS PROJECT WAS ACTUALLY INCLUDED AS WELL IN OUR 2021, UH, IMPACT FEE REPORT AS A PROJECT THAT WAS, UH, ALREADY IN OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM THAT, UH, IS CONSISTENT WITH CHAPTER 3 95 OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE REGARDING THE USE OF IMPACT FEES FOR EXPANSION OF THE WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
UH, AND AS SUCH, STAFF IS PROPOSING, UH, PENDING YOUR APPROVAL TO UTILIZE APPROXIMATELY $500,000 FROM FUND 5 0 6 WATER IMPACT FEES AND, UH, $2,228,408 FROM, UH, FUND 5 0 8, WHICH IS THE, UH, WATER AND SEWER CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.
THE ESTIMATED TIMELINE FOR THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT 13 MONTHS FOR DESIGN, FOLLOWED BY 18 MONTH, UH, CONSTRUCTION PERIOD.
SO, UH, THAT'S ABOUT ALL I HAVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING, AND I'M AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE OF ME.
UM, AT THIS TIME, COUNSEL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS BEFORE WE CALL FOR A VOTE? COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM.
UM, I JUST WANNA STATE THAT I, I, I REALIZE THIS IS A HIGH DOLLAR, UM, BAIL, UM, EXPENSE.
AND I WAS TALKING TO THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TODAY, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE A, A LOT OF THIS TOO THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN PAID THROUGH GRANTS AS WELL.
I KNOW WE MENTIONED THAT BEFORE, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL ARE EAGER, EAGERLY, STILL LOOKING AT AS WELL.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT.
I'M SURE YOU CAN GO GET 20% IF YOU CAN GET 15.
AND, UM, ALSO, I HAD THE PLEASURE OF VISITING THE HAMPTON ROAD, UM, PUMPING STATION.
WE ARE HEADED FOR A RIBBON CUTTING, BUT JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CITY AND, AND WHY THIS IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AS RESIDENTS HAVE, UH, PRE GOOD PRESSURE WATER FLOWING, AND WE'RE NOT PUTTING IT ON THE BACKS OF THIS WESTMORELAND STATION THAT IS CURRENTLY TAKING CARE OF A GREAT PORTION OF THIS CITY.
UM, I ENCOURAGE ALL OF US TO GO, GO OUT AND TAKE A LOOK BECAUSE THE, THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE, IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO TAKE CARE OF US TODAY, BUT FOR RESIDENTS TO COME 20, 30 YEARS FROM NOW, HOPEFULLY BY IN 30 YEARS, THEY'LL DO THIS AGAIN.
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND EFFORTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, I SEE NO ADDITIONAL LIGHTS.
SO I, AT THIS TIME I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION MATTER MATTER MAYOR, MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, UH, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY DR.
MARK, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNSEL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD.
[01:45:02]
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.[2. Consider an Ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Adopted Budget for the increased overtime in the Fire Department]
TIME, WE'LL TAKE THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.NEXT, WE HAVE CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 20 23 24 ADOPTED BUDGET FOR THE INCREASED OVERTIME IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
MAKING THAT PRESENTATION IS LAKITA SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCE DIRECTOR.
THIS ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE BRINGING IS TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 22, 23, 23, 24 BUDGET.
I'M SORRY, FOR THE INCREASED OVERTIME IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, RECENTLY BECAME FULLY STAFFED.
WE HAVE 22 FIREFIGHTERS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY.
UH, WE DO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL FIREFIGHTERS WHO ARE OUT, UM, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
EVERYTHING THAT SPANS FROM BEING OUT ON FAMILY MEDICAL LEAVE ACTS FOR PATERNITY LEAVE INJURIES.
AND IN FIREFIGHTER SCHOOL, THAT LEAVES US WITH EFFECTIVELY THREE TO FOUR LESS FIREFIGHTERS THAN WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THOSE SHIFTS.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, WE HAVE STARTED MOST SHIFTS WITH 15 FIREFIGHTERS, WHICH WE CANNOT DO.
AND THAT CAUSES US TO, UM, TO GO OVER IN OUR, OUR OVERTIME WHEN WE'RE ASKING THOSE OTHER FIREFIGHTERS TO FILL IN WHERE WE'RE SHORT.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UH, THIS EVENING, THIS ORDINANCE IS REQUESTING AN ADDITIONAL 300,000 AND OVERTIME LINE ITEM IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE FUTURE OVERTIME IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BY, UM, SUSPENDING CERTAIN, UM, PROGRAMS OR, OR THINGS, TRAINING CLASSES, CONFERENCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT REQUIRE THE FIREFIGHTERS TO BE OUT.
UM, THE FINANCIAL IMPACT HERE IS THE 300,000.
THE, UH, 300,000 WILL REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE BY THAT AMOUNT.
SO, WE'LL, UH, WE, AS YOUR EXHIBIT SHOWS, WE BEGAN THE YEAR WITH 300,000, UM, BUDGETED FOR THAT LINE ITEM, AND WE'RE REQUESTING THAT TO GO TO 600,000.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS.
AT THIS TIME, I WON'T CALL FOR A MOTION IN ADVANCE ON THESE.
I WANT, UH, US TO DELIBERATE AND HAVE A BIT OF DISCUSSION BEFORE WE ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
UH, WE ALSO DO HAVE ORDINANCE FOR THESE.
I'M NOT SURE WHOSE LIGHT WAS ON FIRST.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I HEARD YOU SAY, UM, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING TO DO IS TO INCREASE BY 300,000.
I GUESS MY, MY REAL QUESTION, AND YOU USED THE WORDING, UH, REDUCTION IN TRAINING, UM, NOW BEING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE INS AND OUTS, BUT I DO KNOW I DON'T WANT AN UNTRAINED, UH, FIREFIGHTER.
THAT'S MY FIRST AND FOREMOST THOUGHT PROCESS.
WHEN YOU SAY REDUCTION IN TRAINING, I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
UM, BUT IS THERE ANY OTHER MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE OR THOUGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO TRY TO CURB MM-HMM,
YEAH, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE DEFINITELY NOT, UM, TALKING ABOUT ANY REQUIRED TRAINING THAT FIREFIGHTERS MUST HAVE.
AND IF YOU WANNA EXPAND ON THAT, MADAM MAYOR COUNSEL.
SO AS FAR AS THE TRAINING, UM, IF IT'S GOING TO CREATE OVERTIME, BASICALLY THE BACKFILL, WE ARE PUTTING THAT OFF.
MOST OF OUR TRAINING IS, UH, WITHIN STATE OR NA NATIONAL.
WE HAVE TO DO IT WITHIN TWO YEAR SPAN.
SO WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THESE CLASSES WE CAN ACTUALLY TAKE NEXT YEAR AND PUSH THAT FORWARD.
ANOTHER THING WE ARE DOING IS WE'VE DONE WHAT WE CALL FREEZE THE CALENDAR.
UM, FIREFIGHTERS ALWAYS PICK THEIR DAYS OFF VACATIONS, HOLIDAYS A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
SO WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE ALLOWED THEM TO PICK THOSE DAYS, BUT ONCE THEY'VE PICKED 'EM, WE HAVE FROZE THE CALENDAR.
SO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER DAYS THAT ARE OPEN, THEY CAN'T TAKE THOSE.
IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT THOSE COULD ACTUALLY CREATE OVERTIME.
I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, BECAUSE I TOO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE INCREASE, BUT FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF, ARE WE FORECASTING APPROPRIATELY FROM A STAFFING PERSPECTIVE? I'M THINKING BACK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF BUDGETS, AND I DON'T RECALL, AND MAYBE WE DID ADD, UH, UH, TO THE BUDGET FOR A FIREFIGHTER.
UM, THAT'S, THAT DIRECTLY, WE, I MEAN WE, WE TALK ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN DIRECTLY I IN IMPACT THE INCREASE
[01:50:01]
ADDING HEAD COUNT TO HELP WITH THIS DOES.RIGHT? SO, ONE, LIKE HAVE WE, HAVE WE DONE ANYTHING TO ADDRESS IF THERE'S A NEED FOR HEADCOUNT? DO WE KNOW? 'CAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO ANSWERS MORE SO FIREFIGHTERS NOT, THEY DON'T JUST RESPOND TO FIRE, THEY RESPOND TO PARAMEDIC CALLS AS WELL.
SO I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CITY OF DESOTO ANSWERS MORE CALLS THAN MOST OF THE CITY SURROUNDING US.
UM, AND IF, IF THAT IS TO BE TRUE, HAVE WE LOOKED AT WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO, FOR YOU ALL TO SUSTAIN AND, AND BE SUCCESSFUL IN ANSWERING THOSE WITH THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF STAFF? BECAUSE WHAT THAT OVERTIMES TELL ME IS BURNOUT IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
AND WE DON'T WANT FIREFIGHTERS BURNED OUT FIGURATIVELY OR, OR LITERALLY, RIGHT.
UM, AND I'M NOT REALLY GONNA GIVE MY OPINION AS FAR AS THAT.
BUT WHAT I WILL WELL, WHAT WE WANT TO OPINION, WHAT WHAT I WILL DO IS GIVE FACTS.
UM, AT THAT TIME WE HAD THREE FIRE STATIONS, THREE ENGINES, THREE AMBULANCES, AND WE RAN ABOUT 2,500 CALLS IN 2003.
SAME NUMBER OF PERSONNEL WE RAN, ACTUALLY IT WAS LIKE 2,700 CALLS.
THREE FIRE STATIONS, THREE ENGINES, THREE AMBULANCES.
SO, AND IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF COMPARE THAT, LEMME SEE.
SO DUNCANVILLE HAS TWO FIRE STATIONS.
UH, THEY RAN ROUGHLY AROUND 6,800 CALLS LAST YEAR.
UH, CEDAR HILL HAS FOUR FIRE STATIONS.
LANCASTER HAS THREE FIRE STATIONS.
ONCE AGAIN, WE'VE GOT THREE FIRE STATIONS.
UM, NOT GIVING MY OPINION, BUT THE FACTS KIND OF SAY THAT YES, WE, UH, WE'RE READY FOR SOME MORE PEOPLE.
WELL, I HOPE I SEE IT ON THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, MADAM MAYOR.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT $300,000 THAT LOOKS LIKE PERSONNEL NEED, IT LOOKS LIKE WE NEED MORE PEOPLE.
BECAUSE I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE AN OVERSTAFF RATHER THAN HAVE AN UNDERSTAFF.
AND THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ACTUALLY THERE NOT RECEIVING THE TRAINING, WHEN YOU GO TO EVENTS LIKE THAT, IT, THEY'RE SENT THERE TO RECEIVE INFORMATION AS TO WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING AND WHAT THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT THEY CAN BRING BACK TO US TO MAKE OUR CITY BETTER.
SO, UH, AS WE GO FORWARD, UH, MR. FINANCE, UH, CITY MANAGER, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT ON THE BUDGET AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
I KNOW IT'S NOT A, A GOOD THING, BUT, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I, I IS THERE COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, GO AHEAD AND ASK YOUR QUESTION.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE FACTS WITH US.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, AND THIS CAN BE A REPORT BACK LATER, I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FIRE CALLS VERSUS THE AMBULANCE CALLS.
AND SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE METRICS ARE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT, WHAT YOUR TEAM IS ACTUALLY HAVING TO, TO DEAL WITH.
SO I WOULD SAY, AND WE'RE PROBABLY THE SAME AS ANY OTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT, PROBABLY 80% OF OUR CALLS ARE EMS CALLS.
UM, OUT OF THOSE 11,600, IT WAS, UH, ALMOST 9,000, 8,500 OF THOSE WERE EMS CALLS.
AND IF YOU'RE YOU ASKING FOR LIKE, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM OR WELL, WHAT, WELL, SO THE PERCENTAGE IS GREAT.
SO UNDERSTANDING WHAT, WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A LOT OF EMS CALLS NOW WITH THOSE EMS CALLS ON CERTAIN CALLS, FIRE ENGINES AND FIRE TRUCKS DO GO WITH THOSE.
SO IT'S A LOT OF PERSONNEL, BUT YES, WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, WE'RE JUST VERY BUSY, YOU KNOW.
UM, AND I THINK ONE REASON WHY WE'RE EITHER WE'RE BUSIER THAN THE REST OF THE CITIES AROUND US IS ONE, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER POPULATION AND TWO, I'D LIKE TO SAY HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR CITIZENS AND THEY JUST LIKE TO SEE US.
AND THEN TO THAT, THE, OF THE EMS CALLS, HOW MANY ACTUALLY DELIVERED TO A HOSPITAL OR, YOU KNOW, MEDICAL FACILITY VERSUS YOUR PEOPLE WENT OUT AND THEY WERE ABLE TO HANDLE WHATEVER THE CIRCUMSTANCE WAS? I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT PERCENTAGES IN FRONT OF ME.
I KNOW WHEN I WAS THE EMS CHIEF SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE WERE ROUGHLY 50%.
60% ACTUALLY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL.
AND THEN OF THE 50% OR WHATEVER THAT PERCENTAGE IS THAT THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY BEING DELIVERED MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT BREAKDOWN LOOK LIKE? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT TONIGHT IF YOU DON'T KNOW, BUT WHAT DOES THAT BREAKDOWN LOOK LIKE? AND I'M GOING TO THAT PLACE BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU ON MY STREET PERSONALLY
[01:55:01]
MM-HMM.AND IN ONE QUARTER IT WAS FOUR TIMES IN A WELL IN ONE MONTH.
IT WAS FOUR TIMES INSIDE OF A MONTH.
AND SO THAT WAS A GROUP HOME SITUATION WHERE THERE WERE A LOT OF SENIORS LIVING IN THAT HOME.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT ASPECT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? YOU KNOW, JUST, IT, IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS.
WE DO HAVE A LOT OF, UH, REPEAT CUSTOMERS AND, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL EVER HEARD ME TALK ON OUR SOCIAL PROGRAM, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH PARKLAND, IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WE IDENTIFY THAT IS COMING IN A LOT, UM, OR THE CONDITIONS OF THEIR HOMES AREN'T VERY WELL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WILL TAKE A SOCIAL WORKER OUT THERE, SOCIAL WORKER, AND WE'LL MEET WITH THEM, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO BEYOND JUST US SHOWING UP AND PUTTING A BANDAID ON IT.
WE ACTUALLY TRY TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
AND, AND I WAS ONLY ASKING THE QUESTIONS JUST IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT DOES ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING INSIDE OF THE CITY LOOK LIKE OR COMMUNICATION WITH OUR RESIDENTS.
NOT TO TO SAY WE'RE NOT GONNA COME OUT THERE, BUT JUST OH, YES.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, RAPHAEL, YOU ACTUALLY ASKED MANY OF THE QUESTIONS I WAS GOING TO ASK IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT BREAKDOWN, UM, WHAT THAT BREAKDOWN LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW IN THE AREA THAT I LIVE IN, I HEAR THE ENGINE REALLY BECAUSE IT'S IN BETWEEN THAT, UM, CENTER, LIKE THE WINTERGREEN STATION AND BOLTON BOONE AREA WHERE WE HAVE A HIGH POPULATION OF SENIORS.
AND I HEAR THAT TRUCK RUN LITERALLY DOWN, UP AND DOWN WESTMORELAND ALMOST FROM FIRST THING IN THE MORNING THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
SO I COULD IMAGINE THAT THE, THE, UM, EMS CALLS WERE AT A HIGH, VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THEY ARE.
AND, AND THERE'S, THERE'S THREE TO FOUR TIMES IN EACH DAY THAT ALL OF OUR AMBULANCES ARE ON CALLS WHERE CEDAR HILL OR DUNCANVILLE IS HAVING TO COME OVER AND SLOWING DOWN THE RESPONSE TO THE CITIZENS.
HAS, HAS RESPONSE TIME BEEN IMPACTED BY THE VOLUME? UM, YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'S, I MEAN, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE OUT IN, UH, CEDAR HILL OR DUNCANVILLE, I MEAN, IT, IT MAY ONLY BE ANOTHER TWO OR THREE MINUTES, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE MINUTES IF THAT'S YOUR FAMILY MEMBER, THAT SEEMS LIKE AN ETERNITY.
SO, AND I KNOW THIS IS A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, BUT I'M GONNA SEE IF I CAN TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF PRIVILEGE.
DIDN'T WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, MAYBE SOMETIME LAST YEAR, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE NECESSITY OF AN ADDITIONAL FIRE STATION AND WHAT SOME OF THE FIXES, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO GIVE ANY DETAILS, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M THINKING RIGHT IN TERMS OF OUR CONCERNS HERE TODAY AND THE NEED, MA'AM.
AND THEN, BUT THIS, YOU ALL HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN PROACTIVE.
I DON'T WANNA MAKE IT APPEAR TO OUR PUBLIC THAT THIS HAS NOT BEEN TALKED ABOUT OTHER THAN TONIGHT.
UM, THERE WAS A MOMENT WHEN WE DID TALK, I BELIEVE CHIEF SUTHER CAME AND PRESENTED.
UM, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE, I SUPPOSE IT WAS SOMEWHAT OF A STUDY.
IN TERMS OF THE NEED AND THE PLACEMENT FOR IT AND JUST HOW ALL OF THAT WAS, UM, HOW ALL OF THAT CAME TO BE.
AND OBVIOUSLY INFRASTRUCTURE IS ONE THING, UM, THAT, THAT WAS A SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
SO THERE WERE OPTIONS THAT WERE DISCUSSED.
AND SO IF, YOU KNOW, JUST, JUST FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UM, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT THESE CONCERNS HAVE BEEN RAISED OR THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL STATION STAFFING, ET CETERA.
SO I WANT, UM, OUR RESIDENTS TO BE AWARE OF THAT AND HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF COMFORT THAT, THAT WE ARE, THAT WE ARE AWARE.
UM, AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE ABOUT IT.
COUNSEL, AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
WELL, YES, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A ORDINANCE, CORRECT.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE AS, UH, AS WRITTEN PRESENTED.
IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO APPROVE.
AS PRESENTED COUNSEL, THERE IS A ORDINANCE, AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS, AUTHORIZING CERTAIN BUDGET AMENDMENTS PERTAINING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2324 ADOPTED BUDGET AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
COUNSEL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD.
THAT MOTION PASSES DOWN UNANIMOUSLY.
[3. Consider an Ordinance amending the Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Adopted Budget for increase overtime in the Police Department]
MS. THOMAS, WE'LL HAVE OUR FINAL ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.FINALLY, WE HAVE CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2324 ADOPTED BUDGET FOR INCREASE OVERTIME IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
COMING BACK IS LAKITA SUTTON, INTERIM FINANCES DIRECTOR.
WE HAVE A BUDGET AMENDMENT BEFORE US FOR, UM, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE ORIGINAL BUDGET AND THE, UM, OVERTIME LINE ITEM FOR POLICE OPERATIONS WAS 400,000.
UM, STAFF IS BRINGING TO, UM, INCREASE THAT, UH, BY 300,000 AS WELL.
[02:00:01]
UM, IN LOOKING AT WHERE WE, UH, WERE AT OUR FINANCIALS THAT I PRESENTED LAST EVENING, UH, WE CAN SEE THAT WE ARE GOING TO EXCEED THE BUDGET, UM, IF WE DON'T COME BACK AND DO AN AMENDMENT HERE.SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD THIS EVENING.
$300,000 THAT WILL BE, UM, ALSO COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.
UM, SO THIS ONE I DO HAVE, UH, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT, 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN FIRE.
UM, WE DRA CHIEF, UH, WELCOME TO THE PARTY.
UH, IF YOU WANNA COME HOME DOWN, YOU CAN.
UM, I'M CONCERNED WITH HOW THIS IS BEING FORECAST BECAUSE WE KNEW LAST YEAR IT WENT OVER, BUT IT WENT OVER DRASTICALLY.
UM, MY SECOND CONCERN IS THAT WE HAVE THE MOST, UM, POLICE ON, ON GROUND THAT WE'VE EVER HAD IN YEARS, DECADES.
I WANT TO SAY THAT A LITTLE BIT LOUDER.
'CAUSE THERE'S THIS MISCONCEPTION THAT WE HAVE LESS OFFICERS, BUT WE HAVE MORE OFFICERS THAN WE HAVE IN, IN AT LEAST A DECADE.
UM, PATROLLING, UH, WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT, ARE WE FORECASTING CORRECTLY ON WHAT THE NEED IS? AND IF WE HAVE MORE THAN WE HAVE BEFORE, WHY HASN'T THE OVERTIME DECREASED? TYPICALLY, IF YOU INCREASE THE HEAD COUNT, YOUR NEED FOR OVERTIME IS NOT AS NEEDED.
SO THAT, THAT IS MY CONCERN BECAUSE WE DID APPROVE, UH, $2.4 MILLION, UM, RAISE CITYWIDE WITH THE POLICE GETTING A GREAT PORTION OF THAT, WHICH WAS 15% OF THEIR WAGES WITH OVERTIME.
I WOULD ESTIMATE THAT THEY'RE MAKING ON TOP OF THAT AT LEAST ANOTHER 75 TO MORE DOLLARS PER HOUR.
UH, NOT THAT I, YOU KNOW, I'M COUNTING THEIR POCKETS, BUT I'M SAYING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE INVESTMENT THAT WE MADE, HOW COME WE'RE NOT SEEING A RETURN ON THAT ON THE OTHER END FROM THE OVERTIME PERSPECTIVE? DO COUNSEL, MADAM MAYOR.
AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILWOMAN, UM, I, I, I, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE, YOU'RE INCORRECT IN, IN STATING THAT, UM, I, I, I THINK OUR PLANNING COULD BE BETTER.
UM, I WAS LOOKING AT THE FIGURES TODAY, AND FIVE OF THE LAST SIX YEARS WE'VE ACTUALLY COME TO YOU ALL, UH, LOOKING TO AMEND THE BUDGET.
UH, SO, UM, IN THOSE, IN THAT INTERIM TIME PERIOD, WE ALWAYS HAVE OPENINGS.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE THREE OPENINGS.
UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS FISCAL YEAR, WE HAD SIX, WE HAVE THREE ADDITIONAL, UH, ANTICIPATED RETIREMENTS BEFORE THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FILL THOSE GAPS.
BUT WE, WE DO HAVE SOME SALARY LAG SEEMINGLY EVERY YEAR.
UM, I DID PRESENT SOME DATA THIS PAST SUMMER TO THE HOA WORKSHOP WHERE WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT ABOUT THE LAST DOZEN YEARS.
AND, UH, YOU ALL REMEMBER WE HAD THAT OUTLIER YEAR IN 20 18, 20 19, WHERE WE LOST, YOU KNOW, TWO DOZEN OFFICERS.
UH, BUT OUR AVERAGE IS, YOU KNOW, THROW THAT, THROW THAT YEAR OUT.
OUR AVERAGE IS WE LOSE SIX OFFICERS A YEAR, UM, ON, ON THE AVERAGE.
SO WE ALWAYS HAVE, UH, SOME OPEN POSITIONS SEEMINGLY, UM, THAT, THAT CUT INTO THAT NUMBER.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST AS, AS CHIEF WHITAKER DID, I'VE GOT SOME FACTS THAT I'D LIKE TO PRESENT Y'ALL.
AND, UM, YOU CAN JUST KIND OF TAKE THESE, UH, A AS THEY ARE, UM, AT LEAST 150,000, UH, OF THAT OVERTIME IS PARTIALLY REIMBURSED BY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THAT'S THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, UM, SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, UH, OUR, UM, OUR TASK FORCE OFFICERS.
SO WE DO GET REIMBURSEMENTS FROM SOME OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
THE EVENTS THEMSELVES, UH, I WAS LOOKING THROUGH OUR SCHEDULE, AND SO WE'VE HAD NINE SCHOOL FUNCTIONS SO FAR.
WE'RE ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, 20, 26, 27, 28 WEEKS INTO THE YEAR, WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY DONE WITH THE YEAR.
WE'VE HAD NINE SCHOOL FUNCTIONS THAT INCLUDES FOOTBALL GAMES, PLAYOFFS, BASKETBALL, TRACK, HOMECOMING, THE, UH, CHAMPIONSHIP PARADE, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD 33 INDIVIDUAL DAYS
[02:05:01]
WHERE AT LEAST ONE OF OUR OFFICERS HAS WORKED AT A PARKS EVENT, AN ATHLETIC EVENT.AND, YOU KNOW, I I'M SAYING AT LEAST ONE LIKELY MORE, TYPICALLY THAT'S GONNA BE THREE TO FOUR OFFICERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S 33 DAYS OF ATHLETIC EVENTS THAT, THAT WE'VE WORKED.
WE'VE HAD AT LEAST A DOZEN CALL OUTS OF OUR INVESTIGATIVE TEAM, OUR DETECTIVES, UH, WHERE AT LEAST ONE AND LIKELY MORE INVESTIGATOR WAS CALLED OUT AFTER HOURS ON OVERTIME.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF UNPLANNED AND UNANTICIPATED EVENTS THIS YEAR.
PRETTY BIG ONES JUST LAST WEEK, THE ECLIPSE, WE, UH, WE EMPLOYED OFFICERS TO THE TUNE OF 160 HOURS OF OVERTIME JUST TO MAKE SURE, AGAIN, KNOWING THAT, THAT OUR HOTELS AND OUR MOTELS WERE FILLED UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE GOT FROM OUR PARTNER AGENCIES, UH, AND FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, WE HAD OFFICERS WORKING THAT ENTIRE WEEKEND JUST TO MAKE SURE OUR CITIZENS WERE SAFE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE OVERSTAFFED, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S A ONETIME EVENT.
UH, WE HAD SOMETHING SIMILAR JUST PRIOR TO THAT, UH, KIND OF A ONETIME EVENT.
THE, THE TX 2K RACING EVENT DOWN IN ENNI, TEXAS.
ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE GETTING FROM OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS, UH, WAS THAT WHENEVER THESE EVENTS ARE HELD, THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE ISSUES WITH STREET RACING.
SO WE PUT OUT OFFICERS OUT ON THE STREET, UH, IN REGARDS TO THAT PARTICULAR EVENT TO MAKE SURE A, A AGAIN, THAT WE WERE FORECASTING AND ANTICIPATING ANY, ANY PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
UM, WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY, WE, WE WANT TO BE SURE IT'S DIFFICULT RIGHT? TO REACT.
SO SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, UM, WE MAY HAVE A TENDENCY TO, TO OVERSTAFF SOME THINGS, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S BETTER THAN, THAN THE FLIP SIDE, BEING REACTIVE AND NOT PUTTING ANYBODY OUT THERE RIGHT, FOR THIS ECLIPSE OR THESE SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.
AND THESE WERE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, TO, TO BE HONEST, WERE NOT ON MY RADAR LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE, WHEN WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE BUDGETING PROCESS.
SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS.
AGAIN, JUST A A ANOTHER EXAMPLE, UM, WE ADDED A, A NORTH TEXAS AUTO THEFT TASK FORCE OFFICER, AND WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL SRO THIS YEAR.
THOSE ARE BOTH POSITIONS THAT GET SIGNIFICANT OVER TIME.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, A AS I MENTIONED, UH, WE, WE HAVE COME TO Y'ALL, IT'S NOT UNPRECEDENTED THAT, THAT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, UM, THAT, THAT WE WOULD COME TO YOU ASKING, UH, FOR THIS INCREASE, UM, REGARDING HOW, WHAT WE CAN DO, I, I, I THINK IT'D BE FAIR, WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT CHANGING OUR MINIMUM STAFFING NUMBERS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT, UH, FIVE AND TWO.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS FIVE OFFICERS AND TWO SUPERVISORS, OR SIX AND ONE, SIX OFFICERS AND ONE SUPERVISOR.
SO SEVEN OFFICERS MINIMUM ON THE STREET.
OKAY? AND IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THEN, THEN WE CALL BACK AND THAT BECOMES CALL BACK OVER TIME.
SO WE CAN LOOK AT PERHAPS UPPING THAT NUMBER TO, TO EIGHT TO NINE, UH, GIVING US MORE OFFICERS AND, AND HOPEFULLY WE, WE CALL BACK LESS FREQUENTLY.
AND A AGAIN, WE ALREADY MENTIONED BETTER, BETTER PLANNING.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THESE PARKS EVENTS.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY SIT DOWN WITH PARKS AND, AND CHART OUT THE ENTIRE YEAR OF THEIR EVENTS AND KIND OF WHAT THE EXPECTATION IS.
SOMETIMES THOSE, THOSE THINGS HIT US KIND OF FAST AND FURIOUS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK A MORE REALISTIC ANTICIPATION OF OVERTIME EXPENDITURES.
UH, I, AGAIN, THAT'S WHERE I AGREE WITH YOU COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, WE HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS HERE ON THIS END.
COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER, THEN COUNCIL MEMBER, BUR YOU CAN FOLLOW.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UH, MS. SUTTON, UH, AND THEN OFFICER, UH, SNICK.
UH, WE APPRECIATE, FIRST AND FOREMOST, LET ME MAKE SURE I SAY THIS TOO, TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS DO.
I APPRECIATE YOU FOR, UH, COMING OUT HERE WITH YOUR STATS.
I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AROUND, UH, YOU SAID ABOUT REIMBURSEMENTS.
UM, I DON'T THINK I'VE REALLY SEEN ANYTHING DOCUMENTED TO SHOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, 'CAUSE IF THIS IS INCREASED, EVEN FROM LAST YEAR, THERE WAS STATED SOME, SOME I, UM, SOME STATEMENTS MADE THAT THERE WAS REIMBURSEMENTS
[02:10:01]
THAT WERE NEVER SPOKEN OF.AND SO, UM, I NEVER SAW ANYTHING THAT SHOWED, OKAY, YOU JUST INCREASED THE BUDGET BY THIS AMOUNT.
HERE'S THE REIMBURSEMENTS TO OFFSET WHATEVER IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND WHAT HAPPENS WITH THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING IN TERMS OF PARKS AND RECS, YOU'RE RIGHT NOW THAT WHOLE PLANNING PIECE IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE PARKS AND RECS IS BUSY.
I GUESS MY ONLY QUESTION ABOUT THAT WOULD BE WHY WOULD THERE NOT BE A CONVERSATION WITH A DEPARTMENT THAT ACTUALLY HAS THAT MUCH, UM, UM, DIZZINESS.
THEY, THEY HAVE A LOT OF EVENTS.
UM, EVEN AT AN EVENT, DO YOU GUYS HAVE A SPECIFIC PLAN FOR EVERY EVENT? SO IF THEY SAID THEY HAD 10, 10 EVENTS, YOU KNOW, YOUR PLAN IS WE NEED TO HAVE FIVE OFFICERS OR 10 OFFICERS.
IS THAT NOT ALREADY ON SOMEBODY'S RADAR SO THAT YOU'LL KNOW? I, I GUESS IT'S REALLY WHAT MY QUESTION IS.
UM, AND I'LL TAKE THE THE SECOND QUESTION FIRST IF I MAY.
UM, NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
AND, UH, THE ANSWER IS FOR ANTICIPATED EVENTS, WE DO.
AND, AND SO I, I DON'T MEAN TO MISLEAD YOU, THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PLANNING THAT GOES INTO EACH OF THESE EVENTS, OKAY.
BUT, UH, WE FIND OURSELVES ON THE PARK SIDE WORKING MORE AND MORE OF THESE, UH, THIRD PARTY VENDOR TOURNAMENTS.
THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT I'M REFERRING TO HERE.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF THOSE, AND THOSE ARE RELATIVELY SHORT NOTICE.
UH, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR REPEATING EVENTS, WE, WE KNOW, WE KNOW WHEN THOSE ARE COMING UP.
WE MEET REGULARLY ABOUT THOSE.
BUT SOME OF THE THIRD PARTY VENDOR EVENTS CAN JUST POP UP ON US.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ALL OF A SUDDEN WE NEED A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF OFFICERS.
AND, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
YOU KNOW, I, I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT, WHAT PARKS EXPECTS IN REGARDS TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE THIRD PARTY TOURNAMENTS.
UM, AND THAT WAY WE CAN, WE CAN PLAN A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR THOSE SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR REPEATING EVENTS WE DO A GOOD JOB WITH.
AND, AND EVEN, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE TOURNAMENTS WE, WE DO A DECENT JOB OF.
BUT, BUT WE DON'T ALWAYS KNOW THE ANSWER.
AND I'M NOT SURE PARKS HAS, HAS THAT INFORMATION ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE MAY BE QUICK TURNAROUND ON SOME OF THESE TOURNAMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO FILL, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO FILL SPACE.
WE'RE TRYING TO GET FOLKS IN TO OUR PARKS, UM, TO ENJOY THE FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THEY'RE GONNA TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY CAN TO DO THAT.
UM, IN REGARDS TO REIMBURSEMENT, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY OF THOSE SPECIFIC FIGURES IN FRONT OF ME TONIGHT.
UM, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR SROS, UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT REIMBURSES THEM 80% OF, OF THEIR OVERTIME.
SO THE DEPARTMENT PAYS 20% OF THAT.
SO, UH, THESE ARE NUMBERS THAT WE CAN GET.
UM, OUR SCHOOL FUNCTIONS, THE, THE ISD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF, OF ANY OFFICER THAT'S NOT AN SRO, FOR EXAMPLE.
THE, THE VERY LARGE EVENTS, THE PARADES, THE FOOTBALL GAMES WHERE WE NEED MORE THAN JUST OUR, OUR SROS TO STAFF THOSE.
SO ISD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THAT OVER TIME.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG CHIEF.
UM, BUT UH, WE, WE CAN, WE CAN GET YOU A, A BREAKDOWN OF THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, YES, MAYOR, I JUST WANTED TO ADD, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, UH, PARKS RECREATION EVENTS.
SO YOU REMEMBER, WE, WE BROUGHT THE ITEM FORTH ABOUT, UH, SECURITY OFFICERS FOR, TO, UH, TO KIND OF MIX POLICE, POLICE PRESENCE WITH SECURITY OFFICERS TO KIND OF CUT DOWN ON SOME OF THIS OVERTIME AS WELL.
'CAUSE THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WAS STARTED WHEN THE PREVIOUS CITY MANAGER WAS HERE.
AND SO AS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UH, WITH CHIEF CHIEF'S HELP AND, UH, DIRECTOR GLOVER'S HELP, LIKE THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS THEY NEED AT THESE FOOTBALL TO PARTICULARLY THESE BIG FOOTBALL TOURNAMENTS.
AND I THINK WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE NUMBER OF MINIMUM OF 10.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, BASED ON WHATEVER ELSE IS GOING ON, WE, WE MIGHT INFUSE THAT WITH, WITH SOME OF THE SECURITY OFFICERS, UH, TO KIND OF OFFSET SOME OF THAT COST CHANGE OFFICERS.
YES, BECAUSE YOU HAVE, REMEMBER YOU GOT THE PARKING, YOU GOT THE FIELDS WHERE A LOT OF INCIDENTS HAPPEN, AND YOU GOT THE, UH, PARKING IN THE STREET IN THE, IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE HAVE ISSUES.
SO WE WANT POLICE PRESENCE OUT THERE WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT ONE ARMED POLICE PRESENCE OUT THERE WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF CONTROL THAT.
AND THEN WHEN THEY LOOK AT INFIELD, THEY'LL TRY TO INFIELD SOME OF THE AREAS WITH SOME OF THE, UH, NON-SWORN POLICE OFFICERS, UH, SECURITY OFFICER, OFFICER TYPE PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT HAS BEEN HAD.
AND SO THAT, THAT IS A GAME PLAN MOVING FORWARD.
THE OTHER THING WAS, UH, PARTS DEPARTMENT RECOGNIZED THAT
[02:15:01]
THE TIME SPAN OF AN EVENT, SAY IN, SAY IF A, IF A, IF A, UH, TOURNAMENT WAS PLANNED FOR FIVE HOURS, RIGHT? WHERE IF THE PLAYING TIME IS FIVE HOURS, YOU STILL GOT BEFORE THE PLAYING TIME AND AFTER THE PLAYING TIME, YOU COULD GO IN OVERTIME.SO INITIALLY I THINK WE WERE JUST PLANNING FOR FIVE HOURS.
NOW WE'RE SAYING WE NEED TO PLAN FOR MAYBE AN HOUR BEFORE THE GAME AND AN HOUR AFTER THE GAME.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO RECOUP MORE OF THAT COST FROM THE VENDOR BECAUSE WE WEREN'T DOING THAT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE TO KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AS WELL.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT, UH, I HAVE A QUESTION AND I DO SEE ADDITIONAL LIGHTS.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION SINCE WE'RE SPEAKING OF YOU.
WERE GIVEN THE PERCENTAGES OF THE REIMBURSEMENTS, ARE THEY, ARE WE BEING REIMBURSED AT COST? SO IF OVERTIME IS $75 AN HOUR, ARE THEY PAYING US $75 AN HOUR OR MORE, YOU KNOW, UM, AS A ON TOP OF THAT? OR ARE WE, ARE WE NOT AT FULL COST RECOVERY FOR THE OVERTIME? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE ATHLETIC EVENTS OR ANY, ANY EVENTS AT ALL? ANY, ANY EVENTS WHERE THE ATHLETIC EVENT, THERE ANY REIMBURSABLE TIME? SO GOOD EVENING, MADAM MAYOR, CITY COUNCIL.
UM, SO WE GET REIMBURSED, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF WHAT WE, UH, PAY OUR OFFICERS FOR ANY SCHOOL FUNCTIONS.
80%, AS HE SAID, FOR THE SROS AND ANY OTHER EVENTS EXCEPT FOR ATHLETIC EVENTS, WE'LL GET, UH, FULL REIMBURSEMENT, ATHLETIC EVENTS.
UH, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT IS COLLECTED FROM THE VENDOR AND IT'S USUALLY A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE PAY OUR OFFICERS.
UM, THE PROBLEM WAS LAST YEAR WE NEVER GOT ANY OF THAT MONEY.
UH, IT WAS TOLD TO US THAT THERE, IT WAS BEING COLLECTED AND THAT IT WAS GOING INTO A REVENUE ACCOUNT.
NO ONE EVER GAVE US THE CREDIT FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT ON THOSE EVENTS.
UM, THIS YEAR I KEEP A RUNNING TOTAL EVERY YEAR I'VE DONE THIS AND I'VE, I'VE DONE IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
HE DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT, UH, BEFORE THIS MEETING.
BUT IT, IT LISTS ALL THE REIMBURSEMENTS.
WE HAVE EVERY PAY PERIOD, SO EVERY PAY PERIOD, AND I CAN GET YOU, GET YOU ALL THAT IT'S GIVEN TO FINANCE AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE, WE JUST STARTED THAT THIS YEAR AS AN AGREEMENT THAT WE, WE MADE SO THEY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING AND WHAT WE SAY THAT WE'VE SPENT.
AND AS HE SAID, WE'VE SPENT 380 SOMETHING THOUSAND.
UH, AND IT'S PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT NORTH OF THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, SO THAT, THAT IS GETTING CREDIT WHERE IT'S GOING.
I DON'T KNOW THERE'S A REVENUE LINE ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BROKEN DOWN FOR POLICE OR IF IT'S JUST A REVENUE THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE SOMETHING FINANCE SPEAKS ON.
UM, BUT I KNOW THAT WE'RE KEEPING TOGETHER ACCOUNT OF IT.
AND LAST YEAR I KEPT ACCOUNT OF IT, BUT FORMER CITY MANAGER FAILED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE'S REIMBURSEMENTS.
SO WHEN IT LOOKED LIKE WE SPENT $800,000 IN OVERTIME, WE ACTUALLY SPENT AROUND FIVE 50 OR SO, STILL OVER OUR 400,000 THAT WAS ALLOTTED, BUT IT WAS STILL A LOT LESS THAN WHAT IT WAS PROJECTED THAT WE HAD SPENT.
WE ALSO GET MONEY BACK FROM THE SROS, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR, UH, THEIR EVERYDAY, UM, UH, COSTS.
SO THEIR SALARIES ARE REIMBURSED, I'M SORRY, 50% BACK TO US FOR THE FOUR OFFICES WE HAVE.
THAT'S NOT OVERTIME, BUT WHERE'S THAT MONEY GOING TO? IT'S NOT SHOWN THAT IT'S CREDITED OR, UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET ANY KIND OF CREDIT FOR THAT MONEY COMING IN PERCENTAGE.
SO IF WE CAN SEE THAT, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE SPEND LESS, UH, EVERY YEAR ON NOT ONLY OUR SALARIES BUT ALSO OUR OVERTIME.
AND OUR OVERTIME DIDN'T GO UP WHEN WE'VE GOTTEN RAISES.
ESPECIALLY THIS LAST YEAR WE GOT A A, A BIG RAISE FOR OUR OFFICES.
THEY DIDN'T RAISE OUR OVERTIME UP AND WE ARE NOT FULLY STAFFED AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN FULLY STAFFED SINCE LAST, UH, UH, DECEMBER.
SO CHIEF, HELP ME, LET ME MAKE SURE I WAS CLEAR.
'CAUSE YOU GAVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION, SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
ARE YOU, ARE YOU SAYING WHEN YOU STATE THAT THERE'S REIMBURSEMENTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE NOT RECEIVED, IS THAT FROM VENDORS? LIKE SAY IF SOMEBODY PUTS ON A TOURNAMENT OR WHAT, WHAT, WHERE, WHERE, WHERE IS WHAT AREA HAVE YOU ALL NOT BEEN REIMBURSED? I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND.
SO WITH PARKS, THEY WERE COLLECTING SUPPOSEDLY SECURITY COSTS AND IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE GOING INTO SOME, SOME LINE ITEM THAT WAS A REVENUE AND THAT WASN'T BEING DONE.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, COLLECTING IT FROM WHO I, FROM THE VENDORS THAT, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, LIKE AT MCALLEN PARK WHEN THEY HAVE THE BIG TOURNAMENTS AND FOR, FOR ALL THE COSTS FOR SECURITY THAT WAS BEING DONE BY PARKS.
SO YEAH, TO, TO MY, TO MY QUESTION, THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING A VENDOR IS NOT, A VENDOR WOULD NOT THAT NOT COLLECTED IT WOULD BE A PASS THROUGH THROUGH PARKS IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SENSE OF THE SCENARIO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COLLECTED IT.
YEAH, AND IT, AND IT NEVER CAME TO US OR IF THEY NEVER COLLECTED IT.
UH, ONE OF THE, WHEN WE HAD A MEETING WITH, UH, WITH PARKS PRIOR TO, UH, WHEN BRANDON WAS STILL HERE, UM, IT WAS TOLD THAT SOME MONEY WAS COLLECTED, BUT THEY NEVER COLLECTED FOR SECURITY.
SO THEY DIDN'T PUT IN FOR WHAT THE SECURITY WOULD
[02:20:01]
COST.SO THERE, THERE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THAT IT MAKES IT LOOK LIKE WE HAVE MISMANAGED OUR BUDGET.
AND I CAN TELL YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN OVER OUR BUDGET EXCEPT FOR ONE YEAR.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HIRED FIVE, FIVE NEW OFFICERS THAT WAS IN THE ORDINANCE.
BRANDON NEVER, NEVER BUDGETED FOR THAT MONEY.
SO THAT WAS NEVER, EVER BUDGETED.
AND THEN AMENDMENT WAS DONE AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR THAT MILLION AND A HALF OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
THAT, AND, AND HE BLAMED IT ON THAT AND HE BLAMED IT ON HER OVERTIME.
WE'VE NEVER EVER ASKED FOR AMENDMENTS AND WE CAN'T DO AMENDMENTS FOR ANYTHING TO DO WITH PERSONNEL OR SALARY.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S FINANCE OR THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE WHO CAN DO THOSE AMENDMENTS.
BUT WE GET THROWN UNDER THE BUS LIKE IT WAS ALL US AND IT WASN'T.
WELL, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M JUST, I'M NOT TRYING TO POINT ANY FINGERS.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE SCENARIO SO THAT WE CAN GET TO SOME SOLUTIONS HERE BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU KNOW THIS, NONE OF THIS IS NOT ANYTHING THAT PROBABLY HASN'T COME UP IN ANY OTHER CITY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S NOT BEING DONE TO LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE'RE APPROACHING BUDGET, BUDGET SEASON.
I JUST FIND THAT, I JUST FIND THAT DISHEARTENING THAT, YOU KNOW, FOR THINGS THAT SHOULD BE A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT SUCH AS COLLECTING FUNDS FROM VENDORS TO MAKE SURE IT GETS THERE WOULD BE BEING DONE.
SO IF THAT'S NOT BEING DONE, THEN THAT AGAIN IS IN OUR, IN OUR SYSTEMS AND THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS, THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLARITY ON EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AS IT PERTAINS TO ANY TYPE OF A REIMBURSABLE, UM, EXPENSE TO OFFSET THESE OVERTIME COSTS.
SO MAY I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THE, THE FUNDS THAT, LIKE THE CHIEF, WHAT CHIEF COST IS SAYING THE FUNDS ARE COLLECTED.
SO WHEN, WHEN A TOURNAMENT IS, IS WHEN A TOURNAMENT SPONSOR OR VENDOR COMES AND SAY WE WANNA PUT ON A FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT OR WHATEVER, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT PROVIDES THEM AN ESTIMATE OF SECURITY COSTS, RIGHT? AND, AND THEN THEY'RE REQUIRED TO PAY THAT COST.
THAT COST GOES INTO A, A LINE ITEM, A REVENUE LINE ITEM, A REVENUE, UH, RECEIPT LINE ITEM.
BUT IT WHAT COST CHIEF COSTA IS SAYING, IT DOESN'T COME BACK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT IT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND, JUST LIKE IT GOES IN THE GENERAL YEAH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS IN THE GENERAL FUND, THE MONEY IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WHEN WE DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT, GUESS WHERE IT COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO IT MAY NOT GO BACK TO HIM DIRECTLY IN LINE.
IT'S NOT BEING EARMARKED AS SUCH.
SO THAT THAT'S THAT'S WHAT IT'S SO WHERE IT'S, SO IT'S JUST IN THE POT OF MONEY WITH EVERYTHING ELSE WE HAVE.
AND WHAT HE'S SAYING IS JUST IT'S NOT CLASSIFIED, NOT THAT THE MONEY'S NOT BEING COLLECTED.
THE MONEY'S BEING COLLECTED, WHICH GIVES ME A GREAT DEAL MORE.
UM, SOLACE WITH THAT, THE MONEY'S BEING COLLECTED, HOWEVER, IT'S GOING TO ANOTHER AREA WHERE IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T GO BACK TO PDS BUDGET.
IT DOESN'T GO BACK TO THEIR BUDGET TO OFFSET ANY COST IN ANY WAY.
IT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, THAT I CAN UNDER I UNDERSTAND THAT.
UM, AND IT IS ACCOUNTED FOR, IT'S IN THE GENERAL FUND.
IF YOU LOOK, UM, WHEN WE DO THE FINANCIAL PRESENTATION, IT'S WITHIN INTERGOVERNMENTAL THAT LINE ITEM FOR REVENUE.
AND, UM, AS WE STATED LAST EVENING, YEAR TO DATE, UM, WE HAVE A HUNDRED AND MORE THAN 137,000 THAT, UM, BILLED REIMBURSABLE, UM, THAT HAS ACTUALLY BEEN RECEIVED.
AND SO, UM, IT, IT'S, IT'S ACCOUNTED FOR IN THE GENERAL FUND JUST AS, UH, CITY MANAGER CAMERON STATED.
AND THEN, UH, WHEN WE ASK FOR THE AMENDMENT THAT COMES OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY SOMETHING AS WELL.
UH, PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT FINANCE IS THE AGENT BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, THE CHIEFS, AND CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.
WHEN WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL BUDGET KICKOFF, WE PRESENT, UM, THE DEPARTMENTS, THE, THE, UH, DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, UH, THE CHIEFS WITH HOW MUCH REVENUE, HOW MUCH EXPENSE HAS BEEN SPENT PREVIOUSLY FOR EACH LINE ITEM FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T RECALL IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS THAT WE HAVE SPENT LESS THAN 300,000 IN OVERTIME.
SO WHY THAT NUMBER APPEARED IN THAT CELL.
YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, UM, THE CITY MANAGER DECIDES WHAT NUMBER ENDS UP IN THAT CELL AT THE END OF THE DAY.
UM, SO, UM, THERE NEEDS TO BE BETTER COMMUNICATION AND TRANSPARENCY BETWEEN THE CHIEFS AND THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE TO DETERMINE WHAT'S AN APPROPRIATE NUMBER TO, TO PUT THERE WHEN YOU PUT 300,000 THERE.
AND WE HAVEN'T SPENT LESS THAN THAT IN OVER FOUR YEARS, WHAT ANALYSIS HAS BEEN DONE TO SUPPORT THAT? THAT'S THE GUARANTEE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK AND ASK FOR MORE.
AND SO, UM, I I WANT TO WANTED TO CORRECT HIM ON THAT BECAUSE, UM, IT, IT'S THE, THE CHIEF'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REVIEW THEIR, THEIR STAFF'S BUDGET OVER TIME.
EVERY SINGLE EXPENDITURE LINE ITEM IN THAT BUDGET IS TO, IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE
[02:25:01]
CHIEF.AND, UH, WHEN THAT'S NOTICED, IT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD TO CITY MANAGEMENT.
UM, WE DO OUR BEST AND, UM, OUR COMMUNICATION DEVICE IS THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
AND I APPRECIATE WHICHEVER COUNCIL MEMBER SUGGESTED THAT WE START, UH, TO TAKE A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT OVER TIME, BECAUSE NOW YOU CAN SEE THAT QUARTERLY, THAT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPOT THESE AND BRING THEM FORWARD.
BUT WE ARE VERY MUCH THE AGENT WE DO NOT MANAGE, UM, THE CHIEF'S BUDGET.
UM, I'M GONNA, UM, COUNSEL, I WANNA TRY TO GET US OUTTA HERE BY EIGHT 30, BUT I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL LIGHTS THAT ARE STILL ON DR.
UM, I'M NOT SURE, DO YOU STILL HAVE A QUESTION? IF OR IF NOT, I CAN GO AHEAD AND YIELD MY, GO AHEAD.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND YIELD MY TIME.
I THINK DURING THE CONVERSATION THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD'VE BEEN ANSWERED AND THAT WAS REALLY, SHE REALLY SAID EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
THE DEPARTMENT HEADS DO THAT IS, THAT IS THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH AUTONOMY YOU HAD OVER THAT, SO THAT'S KIND OF WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE NOW.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, I THINK THIS SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND TO TIGHTEN THAT PARTICULAR END UP.
BECAUSE WHAT I DON'T WANT TO SEE EVERY YEAR, LIKE WE'VE SEEN TONIGHT, IS ALL THESE AMENDMENTS, THIS, THAT IS JUST TOO MANY FOR ME.
SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO FORECAST A LOT BETTER.
UH, WE CAN ANTICIPATE, YOU KNOW, NOT, MAYBE NOT THE ECLIPSE, BUT WE CAN ANTICIPATE CERTAIN ACTIVITIES THAT GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
SO IF WE COULD GET A BETTER HANDLE ON THAT, THE SROS, UM, THEIR OVERTIME.
DOES THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT TAKE ANY PORTION OF THE OVERTIME FOR THE SRO? THEY PAY US BACK 80% OF OUR 80% OF THE OVERTIME FOR THE S.
AND HOW MANY SROS DO WE GIVE THEM THIS YEAR? WE HAVE FOUR.
THANK YOU MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING ME.
SO IN FACT, YOU DID NOT YIELD YOUR TIME.
I JUST, SOMETHING BEAR STATING.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING ON, ON THAT? UH, COUNCIL, THANK YOU DR. MARKS.
APPRECI FAR AS YOU COMING, AS FAR AS OUR CONVERSATION WITH CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE EVERY YEAR, I'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR MORE, UH, BECAUSE WE SPEND MORE OVERTIME AND, AND WITH RAISES AND WITH, UH, WITH EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP, I'VE ALWAYS ASKED FOR MORE.
UH, ONLY ONE TIME WAS IT, WAS IT UP FROM 3 85, I BELIEVE TO 400 AND STAYED THERE.
EVEN THOUGH WE SPEND MORE, IT'S ALWAYS LIKE, WELL, WE CAN COME BACK AND DO AN AMENDMENT OR WE CAN DO OTHER THINGS.
SO WE ALWAYS, WE ALWAYS HAVE A CONVERSATION.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE DON'T, WE DO ALL YEAR LONG AND, AND DURING BUDGET SEASON ESPECIALLY, AND THEN THAT'S WHEN IT EITHER, IT EITHER GETS OKAYED OR SHOT DOWN.
RIGHT? AND THAT IS, THAT IS, THAT IS IN FACT TRUE THE CITY MANAGERS.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S WHAT WE SEE IS WHAT HE EXACTLY WHAT WHAT HE'S, YEAH.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WAS NOT REQUESTED.
IT MEANS THAT'S WHAT HE APPROVED.
UM, I JUST WANT TO, UH, UH, REITERATE THAT I DON'T, THAT WE HAVE THE TWO ITEMS FOR REVENUE FOR THE POLICE AS THE STATE SEES AND THE FED SEIZED IT, I, I REALIZED THAT THE REVENUE THAT THEY'RE RECEIVING FROM EVENTS IS GOING TO INTERGOVERNMENTAL.
UM, PIECE, THERE'S A LOT MORE GOING INTO THAT.
AND I THINK FROM A A, A DEBIT AND CREDIT PERSPECTIVE, IT, IF, IF THEY'RE SPENDING THAT FROM AN EXPENSE WISE, THEN WE SHOULD SEE THE REVENUE FROM THE, THE SERVICES RENDERED FROM THAT, FROM THAT, THEIR PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S MORE THAN FAIR TO SEE.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT MAKES IT MORE CLEAN AS AGENTS OF IN FINANCE.
I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD BE SOMETHING VERY DOABLE.
I ALSO HAVE CONCERNS WITH SOME OF THE STATE, 'CAUSE THIS HAS BEEN A LOT OF BUSES THROWN TODAY.
UM, I THINK THAT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO BE DATA DRIVEN WITH, WITH THE ARBITRARY NUMBER FOR OVERTIME AND NOT JUST BASED ON WHAT ONE PERSON THINKS THAT IT SHOULD BE, SO THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S, I DON'T WANNA GO BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BUT, OR, OR OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
THAT OR THE POLITICS THAT'S HAPPENING IN OFFICE, THAT'S NOT OUR BUSINESS TO BE CONCERNED WITH, RIGHT? OUR BUSINESS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TAX DOLLARS MAKE SENSE.
AND I THINK THAT FROM A ACCOUNTABILITY PERSPECTIVE AND TRANSPARENCY GOING INTO THIS BUDGET SEASON, IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE DATA DRIVEN TO SUPPORT WHATEVER YOU'RE STATING THAT IS NEEDED FOR OVERTIME.
AND THEN LASTLY, UM, I REMEMBER AT THE PARADE FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL, YOU ALL USED THE CITIZENS POLICE.
UM, THAT'S A FREE INTO, THAT'S A FREE ECON
COULD THAT NOT HAVE BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO ACTIVATE OUR CITIZENS POLICE? WHERE ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN SAY THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, EVENTS OR THINGS THAT ARE NOT TYPICALLY VIOLENT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE FOLKS WHO HAVE STEPPED UP AND SAID THAT I WANNA HELP, YOU KNOW, LEND A HAND.
WHERE COULD WE USE THEM AT IN, IN THAT PERSPECTIVE? UM, SO THOSE ARE JUST MY FINAL THOUGHTS.
[02:30:01]
YOU MAYOR, FOR THE THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM.UH, ALL GREAT, GREAT COMMENTS.
YOUR NOT ON COUNCIL? MY WIFE WAS ON FIRST, BUT I CAN'T, IT WASN'T YIELD IN MY TIME.
I YIELD MY TIME AGAIN, UNLIKE DR.
NO, WE'LL
COUNCILWOMAN PARKER, PLEASE PROCEED.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT, UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, YES, A LOT OF WHAT, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, CHISHOLM WAS EXPLAINING IS EXACTLY SOME OF THE SAME QUESTIONS.
I'M ALL ABOUT LOOKING AT WHAT WE DID OR ANY LESSONS LEARNED THAT COULD BE POSSIBLE FROM THIS SITUATION, BECAUSE IT DOES SEEM TO BE REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO THE VERY LAST TIME YOU ASKED FOR AMENDMENT, WHICH IS REALLY ONLY ABOUT SIX MONTHS, UM, FROM LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, SO THERE WAS ONE LAST YEAR AND THEN THERE'S ONE NOW, WHICH I UNDERSTAND, I TRULY UNDERSTAND.
I'D ASK THAT, UH, ALSO THAT THE, UH, FINANCE DEPARTMENT DOES LOOK AT MAYBE MAKING THAT ITS OWN LINE ITEM SO THAT YOU CAN SEE IT, UH, AS OPPOSED TO, YOU KNOW, JUST PUTTING IT INTO A GENERAL FUND.
ANYTHING GOES INTO THAT FUND AND THEN YOU SAY, WELL, OKAY, YOU HAD ALL THESE REIMBURSEMENTS 'CAUSE I'M LISTENING TO YOU AND I'M STILL LISTENING TO THAT 137,000 THAT SHE JUST SAID.
AND IT DOES, IT STILL DOES NOT MATH FOR ME.
AND THAT'S JUST MAYBE BECAUSE I'M NOT A FINANCE PERSON, BUT, OKAY, WE'LL LET THAT GO.
BUT MOVING FORWARD, JUST TO HELP, I JUST THINK IT MIGHT BE EASIER TO EVERYBODY GET ON THE SAME PAGE AS TO WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S 10 OFFICERS, WE KNOW THAT FOR A FACT THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
MAYBE WE NEED TO BEGIN TO LOOK AT HOW MANY EVENTS ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS EVEN BEING TALKED ABOUT? MAYBE, MAYBE WE'RE HAVING, YOU KNOW, JUST EVENT AFTER EVENT.
MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CHANGING THAT HABIT THAT, THAT NEEDS POLICE OFFICERS, UM, BECAUSE YOU GUYS STILL HAVE TO POLICE THE CITY AS WELL AS THESE EVENTS.
SO I JUST THINK THAT, UM, I SECOND EVERYTHING THAT COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM SAID, I JUST THINK WE GOTTA GET, WE GOTTA GET THAT DATA OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU KNOW, OUR, WHAT OUR OPPORTUNITIES ARE.
ARE YOU SURE? I'M YIELDING FOR REAL.
I'LL, I'LL WRAP IT UP, UH, WITH COMMENTS.
MAYOR PORT TIMM, DID YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? IT'S ALL BEEN SAID.
COUNCIL MEMBER RAPHAEL, IT'S BEEN SAID.
UM, SO I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT, UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY, AND I, I'LL, THIS IS, THIS IS THE FINAL COMMENT.
UM, I WOULD DEFINITELY SUPPORT COUNCILWOMAN CHISHOLM'S RECOMMENDATION TO MAKE THE, THE, UM, THE COINCIDING OF THE, THE REIMBURSEMENT VERSUS WHAT'S BEING SPENT MORE, UM, MORE OBVIOUS.
UM, I, I'VE BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME AND I'VE SEEN THAT INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE LINE ITEM SINCE 2013.
TODAY IS TODAY I WAS TODAY YEARS OLD WHEN I FOUND OUT ALL OF THE REIMBURSEMENT FUNDS ARE GOING INTO THAT FUND, RIGHT? SO IT WAS CLEARLY NOT, UM, NOT OBVIOUS.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THINGS A CERTAIN WAY IN TERMS OF THE WAY, EVEN WITH OUR REPORTING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING, WE ARE NOT SAYING THAT IT'S NOT HAPPENING AND THAT THE THINGS ARE NOT BEING DONE.
BUT EVEN WITH THE WAY THAT IT'S REPORTED TO US, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT I THINK THIS PRESENTS A VERY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO LOOK AT THE WAY, UM, AND PUT IT MORE IN LAYMAN'S TERMS TO WHERE WE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND, UH, JUST IN PLAIN LANGUAGE WHAT'S, WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.
UM, AND SO, AND, AND DEFINITELY WOULD SUPPORT MORE DATA, DIFFERENT, MORE DATA DRIVEN DECISIONS, UM, IN TERMS OF WHAT THOSE FINAL NUMBERS NEED TO BE WHEN THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED TO US SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CONTINUOUSLY FIND OURSELF HERE.
THANK YOU AGAIN, CHIEF AND CHIEF, UH, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
SO COUNSEL, AT THIS TIME I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
MAYOR, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM HUGHES TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED COUNSEL, PLEASE USE YOUR VOTING PAD ORDINANCE, OH, I'M SORRY.
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF DESOTO, TEXAS AUTHORIZING CERTAIN BUDGET AMENDMENTS PERTAINING TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2324 ADOPTED BUDGET AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WE HAVE TWO VOTES OUTSTANDING.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR AGENDA ITEMS. AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SECOND, IT'S BEEN MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PARKER.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER CHISHOLM TO ADJOURN.
THAT MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
COUNSEL, WE ARE NOW ADJOURNED AT 8:34 PM YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING.